Samuel Potter and the Serpant of Slytherin
by aims80
Summary: [Book 3 in series.] It is Sam and his friend's second year at Hogwarts. Why is the new charms teacher using a fake name, and who is the serpant of Slytherin? When Jenny dissapears it's up to Sam to find her and save her! Please R&R.
1. Summer holidays

CHAPTER ONE: Summer holidays.  
  
I sighed and shifted uncomfortably at my desk. In just over a week I'd be catching the Hogwarts Express for my second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and I'd only just opened my books to get started on some of the homework I was meant to do over the summer holidays. I could imagine only too well Jenny's disapproving look had she been there then.  
  
There was a knock at my door and my father's head poked into the room. "Are you busy Sam?"  
  
I closed my potions book and shook my head. "Not really, why?"  
  
"I just thought you might fancy some Quidditch practice out in the country?" Dad asked.  
  
He didn't need to ask me twice. I jumped up and grabbed my broom- a Harold's special edition which outstripped the latest Nimbus by yards! It was a gift from my parents for completing my first year with reasonably good marks. I also think Dad though perhaps I'd have a better chance of making the house team with a broom like this one. An injury had ended his own international career, and he'd always hoped I'd follow in his footsteps one day. Little did he know I'd followed in his footsteps closer than he'd ever expected. At the end of the last school year I'd been confronted by the ghost of Merlin who wanted to kill myself and my two friends. Lord Voldemort, the evilest wizard to have ever lived, had gone back in time to ask a young Merlin to kill me since he knew that my Dad would defeat him once and for all in his last year at Hogwarts. It was only some quick thinking by Jenny which had saved all our lives. Once again Voldemort had been thwarted in his plans!  
  
As we drove along the motorway Dad was strangely quiet. Having lived in the muggle world for eleven years before finding out he was a wizard Dad was used to muggle things, and therefore we lived a fairly ordinary life in London.  
  
"So Sam, when were you planning on telling me about what happened at the end of the year?" Dad asked suddenly.  
  
I gulped. "You knew?"  
  
  
  
"Jenny told her parents, and then Ron told me. Sam why didn't you tell me?" Dad asked, and I thought there was a slightly hurt tone in his voice.  
  
"There were a few reasons." I admitted. "Firstly I thought you'd be worried if you realised that even though Voldemort could never technically return again he could still find ways of harming the Potters. Secondly I guess after what happened to you and all- you know being the boy who lived and that- I guessed you wouldn't think much of it. I mean, you defeated him on a few occasions and..." I trailed off, not really sure how to explain what I meant. How could you put into words your own admiration for your father? Not many 12 year old boys would think like that!  
  
Maybe Dad understood what I was trying to say, maybe he didn't, but he nodded. "Well in future Sam don't be afraid to tell your mother and I things." He said, and that was the final word on the subject.  
  
I breathed a sigh of relied, and leant against the window to watch the passing scenery. We didn't get out of London often, and I loved it when we did. If there was a better place to live than "The burrows" were the Weasley clan lived I'd yet to find it. There was the main house where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley lived, and where Bill, Charlie and their families stayed when they were in the country. Across the yard was another house where Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, and Jenny lived (not really my relatives, but Dad's two best friends). Further along were two other houses belonging to Uncle Ron's other brothers, the twins Fred, and George, and their families respectively. Fred had a daughter Francine who was going to be in her fifth year at Hogwarts this year, as was George's son Greg, and his daughter Georgia was beginning her schooling there this year as well. That left Uncle Ron's other brother Percy, and his sister Ginny. Percy lived in London and was the current Minister of Magic, which meant his son, Paul, had something to brag about. Ginny and her husband currently lived in Wales, and had a daughter who was only six or seven. That's the Weasley clan- my second family since my Dad has no real family to speak of. His parents were both killed by Voldemort when he was a child, and he had spent many years living with his muggle relatives who treated him like dirt. As a consequence we didn't see them at all, and the Weasley's had practically adopted Dad from when he was 12 or so.  
  
"Ah, here is a perfect spot to practice," Dad said, stopping my reverie. "No muggles will be able to see us."  
  
*****  
  
"How was practice dear?" Mum asked later that night when Dad and I arrived home tiredly. I think Dad's knee was playing up, but he wasn't complaining.  
  
"Great!" I enthused. "Dad taught me some brilliant moves!"  
  
Mum smiled. "I hope you didn't overdo yourself Harry, you know your knee still gives you trouble!"  
  
Dad slipped into his seat at the table. "It's fine Cho." He assured her. "And a little pain is nothing compared to seeing my son become the greatest Seeker ever!"  
  
Mum smiled slightly as she put our meals in front of her. She too had been on a Quidditch team, however she had been in Ravenclaw, and Dad in Gryffindoor. "As long as he doesn't neglect his lessons." She said, and then she took a piece of parchment from her pocket. "Which reminds me; you had an owl from Jenny this afternoon." And she handed me the letter.  
  
I unrolled it and read out loud:  
  
"Dear Sam,  
  
How are you? I hope you're doing your homework- especially that horrid essay for Snape! I wonder who will be the new Charms teacher? I hope it's someone who will actually teach us something worthwhile. I can't wait to get back and learn some more spells! Dad's been teaching me some more flying tips this summer so I'm over my fear about flying, and if I do say so I'm quite good. Maybe you'll have some competition for the seekers job this year? Ha, ha. In other Weasley news Paul has been made head boy this year. We've only seen him a few times this summer, thank god, and he's been unbearable. Greg and Georgia have some grand plans for him though, so it could be interesting. Of course Grandmother is so happy about having another head boy in the family it's really quite embarrassing seeing her simpering over Paul, and him lapping it up! UGH! Anyway, I best go, and I'll see you on platform nine and three-quarters.  
  
  
  
Fondly, Jenny."  
  
Dad was laughing but Mum looked puzzled. "That didn't sound like the old Jenny to me- making fun of Paul. I would have thought it would have been her personal ambition to be head girl in a few years." She said.  
  
"I think it is." I replied. "But don't worry Mum- I'm sure Jenny's still a nerd! She's probably just trying to be a little cooler!"  
  
Mum glared at me. "So it's uncool to be a nerd? And even uncooler to be a nerd with the top marks in the year?" She asked. And then she smiled too. "I'm sure you're right, I'm sure Jenny's just the same as she always was."  
  
*****  
  
Over the next few days I got stuck into my holiday homework, and when it was time to get the train I was all done. I smiled to myself remembering that this time last year I'd been worried about going off to school! This year I couldn't wait to get back! I hadn't seen my best friend Martin all summer since his parents had taken him overseas on a holiday, and I'd only received the occasional owl from him. I had trouble sleeping the night before we were to catch the train; it was going to be great to be back at Hogwarts! 


	2. Back to Hogwarts

CHAPTER TWO: Back to Hogwarts!  
  
"I can't believe it's already your second year!" Aunt Hermione was saying to Jenny, with tears in her eyes. "Before I know it you'll be studying for your OWLS and your NEWTS and entering the real world and-"  
  
"At least you know Jenny will get some OWLS and NEWTS." George Weasley said with a sigh. "I'm beginning to despair about Greg, I don't think I saw him even touch a book over the holidays!"  
  
"He touched a book Dad!" Georgia spoke up with a grin. "We bewitched Paul's advanced dark arts book! When he opens it he'll-"  
  
"Don't tell me." George interrupted her with a groan. "If you tell me I'm going to have to tell him off. I think I'm better off not knowing!"  
  
"At least now you can feel sorry for Mum and Dad." Uncle Ron told his brother. "Honestly you and Fred were terrible!"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Fred Weasley said haughtily. Even his wife Angelina had to laugh at that.  
  
I grinned and moved over from the large crowd of Weasleys and Potters to check my luggage was all right. Sitting right on top in pride of place was my new broomstick. Second year students were allowed to take their brooms and I couldn't wait to show it off. Uncle Ron had been most impressed when he'd spotted it and so had Greg and Francine. But the person I most wanted to see it was Alforth of course!  
  
"Oh I bet you don't!" Dad said with a laugh. "I seem to remember a time when I was in my fifth year that you let me eat the most gorgeous toffee I'd ever tasted. But you neglected to tell me it would make me sprout feathers!"  
  
Everyone laughed, and Mum put her arm around Dad. "Don't worry Harry, I thought you looked cute with feathers!"  
  
Dad's face went red, and of course everyone laughed even more.  
  
"Well, well, well. Isn't this nice? A family reunion? But then I suppose you're house is far too small to hold you all!" Said a mocking voice.  
  
There stood Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, Alforth and a young girl with an equally pointy face. They were all sneering at us.  
  
"Get lost Malfoy." Uncle Ron said evenly. "Do you honestly think we give a fig about what you think anymore?"  
  
Mr. Malfoy smiled slightly. "You couldn't even afford a fig Weasley."  
  
Alforth snorted and Greg glared at him. "Think that's funny do you rat face?" He snapped. "Well wait till we get back to school and if you're lucky I might show you something really funny!"  
  
Alforth looked nonplussed. "You don't scare me Weasley."  
  
"Who's the little miss rat face?" Greg asked, changing the subject.  
  
The young girl who was standing with the Malfoy's looked shocked at the term and clutched tighter at her mother's hand. "Mum, did you hear what he called me?" She said softly.  
  
"Alforth, Draco, let's go and make sure everything's organised for the journey." Mrs. Malfoy said coldly, and the Malfoy's walked off.  
  
"Gregory that wasn't called for." George said frowning. "I don't like the Malfoy's any better than anyone, but that kind of childish bickering should be beneath you by now."  
  
"But Dad Alforth is a little git, he-" Greg began, but now his mother, Alicia, interrupted him.  
  
"Your father's right Greg. Don't stoop to the level of the Malfoys." She said.  
  
Greg looked annoyed, but then Georgia leant over and whispered something to him and he looked up with a grin. Percy Weasley was walking across the platform towards us, Paul walking next to him with a smug expression on his face. I heard Uncle Ron groan slightly.  
  
"Hello all, how are we?" Percy asked, pompously.  
  
"Spiffing old man." Fred replied, and there were a few snorts and smiles.  
  
Percy chose to ignore the jibe. "I'm so proud of Paul here, another head boy in the family!"  
  
"Yeah we heard once." Greg muttered.  
  
"Or twice." Georgia muttered.  
  
"Now Samuel," Mum said drawing Dad and me over to her. "I want you to behave yourself again, and try and study a bit harder than last year."  
  
"And try and make the house team!" Dad added. Mum glared at him, and he quickly added "But study comes first of course."  
  
"Of course." I repeated dutifully.  
  
"SAM! JENNY!" Someone yelled from across the platform, cutting across the whistle of the Hogwarts Express. "OI!"  
  
"Martin!" I called back. "How are you? How was Japan?"  
  
"Amazing. Did you know they have the largest wizard community in the world?" Martin said, coming closer.  
  
"They do?" I repeated surprised.  
  
"Had either of you actually listened in history of magic last year you'd know why that is!" Jenny said shaking her head. "The Japanese and the Americans had-"  
  
"-You're going to have to skip the lecture for now." Greg said. "We have to get on the train now. Francine's gone on ahead to make sure we get our own compartment!""  
  
"We're leaving already?" Jenny asked, glancing back over at her parents.  
  
"Don't start the waterworks little cousin. You're 12 now!" Greg said.  
  
Jenny glared at him. "I wasn't going to cry!" She said angrily. "I was actually thinking of something, but then you wouldn't know what it was to think would you Greg?"  
  
"Enough kids," Uncle Ron said putting his hand on Jenny's shoulder. "Say goodbye and get on the train!"  
  
I hugged my parents and then we all piled on the train just in time. Before we'd reached the compartment Francine was saving for us the train started to move. We all piled in and sat down as the train left the platform behind. I sighed and flopped into the chair. Back to Hogwarts! What adventures would it bring this year?  
  
"Hey Georgia, it looks like you're going to be in the same year as little miss rat face!" Greg told his sister. "Watch out for her okay? The Malfoys are a bad lot!"  
  
Georgia looked thoughtful. "Yeah, I seem to remember hearing Uncle Ron talking about the Malfoys on one occasion. They'd raided their house but they couldn't find anything really when it came to the dark arts."  
  
"Well they're clever. They'll have it all very well hidden." Francine said. "Which reminds me- I wonder which house little miss rat face will get put into?"  
  
Paul raised his face from his book. "Slytherin of course. It was only a mistake that Alforth got put in Gryffindoor last year." He said haughtily. "Surely you children realise this?"  
  
Greg rolled his eyes. "Yes mister head boy we do." He said sarcastically.  
  
"You know Greg don't think I wont take points off you just because your related to me and in my house!" Paul said sternly. "Any stupid tricks and behavior will go punished in my school!"  
  
Greg opened his mouth to say something but Francine beat him to it. "So guys, are we all ready for some more school fun?" She asked, changing the subject deftly. 


	3. Fun and games with the sorting hat

[A/N. Sorry but this chapter has to be quite small. You'll see why though I am sure!]  
  
CHAPTER THREE: Fun and games with the sorting hat!  
  
The headmistress stood watching us as we all filed into the great hall- with the exception of the first years of course, who had taken the traditional ride over the lake. The enchanted ceiling was bewitched to look like the clear night sky outside. When we were all finally seated at our tables with our houses she cleared her throat and spoke.  
  
"Welcome back students. In a moment we will have the sorting of the new children, and then I shall make a few beginning of the year announcements before the feast begins." She said. "Herman- let the first years in please."  
  
The huge gamekeeper, who was rumored to be part giant, opened the doors and the first years filed in looking nervous. Georgia spotted us and gave us a wave. They reached the top of the hall and stood in a bunch while the headmistress placed the battered, old sorting hat on the stool. It opened its mouth, but instead of singing it said in a weary voice "Let's get on with this then. I'm tired already."  
  
"Right..Adams, Melinda." The headmistress called.  
  
A small girl with dark blonde hair went up and sat on the stool. A moment later the hat roared "Ravenclaw!" And she jumped up and went to join her house. As the group were sorted Martin whispered to me telling me about the great girl he'd met. Our conversation was halted with the sorting of "Malfoy, Alison."  
  
Alforth's sister- who I'd learnt on the train ride was actually his twin sister- went up and sat to be sorted. The hat was silent a long time and from the expression on Alison's face I could tell something was up!  
  
We all waited impatiently. Even the headmistress shifted on her feet and finally she asked Alison "Is everything all right?"  
  
Alison frowned and then said, "I think its gone to sleep!"  
  
The hall burst into laughter, and the headmistress whipped the hat off and shook it angrily.  
  
The hat spoke up "Well I am getting rather old you know. Its about time you thought about replacing me." It reprimanded the headmistress.  
  
I thought the headmistress was going to whip out her wand and put a spell on it, instead she told it firmly to finish this sorting off before thinking of retirement. It was placed back on Alison's head, and sorted her into "Slytherin."  
  
A few minutes later it was "Weasley, Georgia" and the headmistress added to the hat that this was the last one.  
  
Georgia looked over at us, and Greg gave her the thumbs up before she sat on the stool and had the hat placed on her head. The hat didn't take long to decide that Georgia belonged in none other than "Wimplewole"  
  
There was silence in the hall and the headmistress advanced threateningly on the hat.  
  
"Okay, just kidding. She's a Gryffindoor through and through." The hat said. "Just having a little fun with you. I'll miss this great job you know- "  
  
But it was yanked off Georgia's head and thrown on the floor by the headmistress who then pulled out her wand. "Junkish remosh." She cried and the hat disappeared into thin air. "Right, junk goes where junk belongs." She said to us all, and then went back to her spot behind the table.  
  
"Okay students, I know you're dying to tuck into that nice feast, but there are a few announcements I need to make first." She said. "Firstly let me introduce you to your new charms teacher. Due to other uh..commitments Professor Horring couldn't be staying with us this year, so let me introduce you to Professor Mitchell."  
  
A fairly young man stood up and bowed to us briefly before quickly sitting down his face beet red.  
  
"Looks pretty shy." I whispered to Martin.  
  
"Yeah, but then if Snape was looking at me like that I'd be feeling rather shy myself." Martin replied, and I glanced up at the table. Sure enough Snape was glaring at the young professor. Snape, the DADA teacher and head of Slytherin house, was no fan of me. It turned out that he had hated both my father, and his father before him, and he simply had something against the Potter family.  
  
"I didn't notice. I wonder why?" I whispered back, but there was no time to ponder Snape's obvious animosity towards the new teacher as the headmistress continued with her announcements.  
  
"I would also like to make welcome our new caretaker- Mr. Oreous Filch. Mr. Filch's father served us a few years back and we welcome another Filch into our fold." The headmistress said. I could tell however that she didn't exactly mean this completely. "And lastly- this year I hope everyone studies as hard as ever and gets the best marks they can. And the reason for this is that we are having something of a competition with two other wizarding schools- Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons. At the end of the year we will tally up the marks of all students and for each year we will award one student in every year the Trischools Cup. The school with the most winners will also receive a larger copy of the cup."  
  
We all began to talk about it, and Martin nudged Jenny. "You've got it all sewn up you know. No need to even open a book."  
  
"I'm sure I've got some sort of competition." Jenny replied, but she was grinning widely.  
  
"And now-" The headmistress shouted over the commotion. "Let the feast begin."  
  
The tables were immediately filled with food, and my second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had officially began. I only hoped it would be half as interesting as the year before! 


	4. The new professor

CHAPTER FOUR: The new professor.  
  
"How was your first night?" Jenny asked Georgia the next morning at breakfast.  
  
"Brilliant. We stayed up for hours in our room talking. I think I'm really going to enjoy being here." Georgia replied, sitting down next to us.  
  
"Glad you're fine. I promised Father I'd keep an eye on you." Paul said overhearing as he walked past. "After all, as Father said, we can't really trust Greg to keep an eye on you can we now?"  
  
Georgia raised an eyebrow but said nothing although as Paul sauntered off she poked her tongue out in his direction. "UGH! And to think we're related to that." She said.  
  
"It could be worse. You could be related to THAT!" Martin said, as Alforth and his friends walked by.  
  
I knew Alforth had heard because the back of his neck went red, but he didn't turn around.  
  
"So," Jenny asked. "What classes have you got today?"  
  
"Um..." She looked at her timetable. "We start with transfiguration, then we have potions. After lunch we've got History of Magic, and Defence Against the Dark Arts. That's the one with Snape isn't it? He looks horrid."  
  
I glanced up to the teacher's table. Snape was talking to the new Charms teacher, Professor Mitchell who was looking strangely nervous and nodding repeatedly. I nudged Martin. "Look at Snape." I whispered to him.  
  
He turned his head to look. "Yeah, I told you there was something funny going on there." He whispered back.  
  
Jenny was looking at us with a slightly hurt expression on her face. I suppose she might have felt a little left out, but it really was no big deal!  
  
*****  
  
We had Charms first and as we filed into the classroom I was disappointed to see that we were with the Slytherins for this class. We all seated ourselves and we waited for the new professor to arrive. When he did arrive he was five minutes late, and out of breath.  
  
"So sorry, got held up." He said plopping some books down onto his desk and surveying us all. For our parts we were equally curious, and were surveying him. With some dismay I noted that his robes were older robes, possibly even hand-me-downs, and even though he was young he looked tired. "Well, as you all now I am Professor Mitchell, your new Charms teacher. I've got a letter here from your previous teacher, Professor Horring, and I get the impression that it must be incomplete as there are a few charms you should have learnt last year not listed here."  
  
Martin stuck up his hand, and the professor nodded in his direction. "Well to tell you the truth sir we basically learnt nothing- although we can tell you that Professor Horring's favorite color is purple, and his favorite animal is a dragon, and he takes his coffee with two sugars and milk, although if he had the choice he'd much rather drink whiskey and soda." Martin recited.  
  
We all burst into laughter, even the Slytherins and Professor Mitchell looked taken aback for a moment before allowing himself a smile. "So you're telling me we've got a bit of catching up to do then?"  
  
"That's one way to put it." Jenny said. "We only got up to chapter four in the textbook, and we should have finished the whole thing!"  
  
"Well thanks for letting me know." The professor said. "In that case we'll have to really get cracking on things this year."  
  
"Good on you." Martin whispered to Jenny, but she just shrugged at him.  
  
After the class we were walking out near Alforth and his friends. Alforth was making fun of the new professor. "I mean honestly, look at his robes- they must be on about their third generation by now." He said and the Slytherins laughed.  
  
"I hardly think being poor, or wearing hand me downs makes you any less of a wizard Alforth!" Jenny said with a frown.  
  
Alforth looked at her for a moment, before his lip curled in distaste. "Well of course you're going to say that aren't you Weasley? Everyone knows the Weasleys have no money!"  
  
Jenny's face turned beet red, but to her credit she merely held her head up high and walked off. Martin and I, and the rest of the Gryffindoors hurried after her.  
  
"You know," Jenny said as we caught her. "The Malfoys may think having a tonne of money makes a wizard better, but everyone with half a brain knows that it's the type of wizard you are which counts. Dark wizards are bound to be found out eventually and thrown into Azkaban!"  
  
"Hmmm, Jenny did you notice anything strange about Professor Mitchell?" I asked, changing the subject. I didn't really want to waste my time discussing the Malfoys, and I was also curious as to whether Jenny had noticed the strange looks Snape had been giving the professor. However when she answered she shocked both Martin and I!  
  
"You mean besides the fact that Mitchell is not his real name?" She asked us, a little smugly.  
  
Martin and I both gaped at her, and she smiled. "Are you telling me neither of you two geniuses picked up on it?" She asked.  
  
"Jenny," I managed. "Stop teasing. Of course his name's Mitchell- the headmistress introduced him that way, why would she lie?"  
  
"I don't know why she'd lie." Jenny said thoughtfully. "I only know she is. Didn't you notice whenever people call him Mitchell he takes a moment to respond, as if he often forgets they're talking to him?"  
  
I wracked my brains trying to remember. "But that could just be because he's slow, or he's shy..." I said, not really sure of a rational explanation.  
  
But Jenny shook her head firmly. "No Sam, Mitchell is not his name. I wonder why he's here under a false name though. I wonder his real name. He couldn't be more than a few years younger than our parents though, maybe he was here when they were in their last years?"  
  
"Have you ever seen your parents yearbooks?" I asked. I'd leafed through my parents on a few occasions, but I'd never really taken any notice of anyone else other than my parents and their friends. The Hogwarts yearbooks were given out to fifth, sixth and seventh year students, although they also featured the students from the lower classes.  
  
"On a few occasions," Jenny replied as we walked into our History of Magic class. "But I don't recognise him. Maybe this afternoon we could go and have a look in the library at the old yearbooks there and see whether or not we could find him?"  
  
Martin sighed. "The library again." He said with an exaggerated shrug as we took our seats.  
  
"Well you don't HAVE to come." Jenny replied a little hurt. "I mean if you don't want to find out who Mitchell REALLY is and why he's here under a fake alias that's fine with me."  
  
"It's just that we were going to practice for the Quidditch tryouts tomorrow. With Baston and Lyons gone we need a new keeper and a new seeker!" I explained.  
  
"Yeah I heard there were tryouts tomorrow." Jenny replied with a strange look on her face. "Well if you'd rather practice I guess that's fine..."  
  
Her tone told me it was anything but fine, and after all the trouble we'd been through last year and with her saving our lives I felt we owed her something. It made me smile slightly to remember my words about this time last year: I'd been determined to keep away from Jenny, and now she was practically one of my best friends. That is, after Martin. "I guess I'll come to the library." I said. "After all if I haven't practiced enough yet, if I haven't got enough talent to get into the team, I don't think another hour or so is going to change things."  
  
Martin sighed also as the teacher, the ghost, Professor Binns floated into the room ready to begin what was sure to be another boring lecture. "Fine, count me in too." He said. 


	5. Alias's and Quidditch tryouts

Chapter Five: Alias's and Quidditch tryouts!  
  
After we'd finished classes for the day we made our way to the library. Jenny, of course, knew exactly were to look to put her hands on the old yearbooks. She grabbed a few of them out and handed them round between the three of us.  
  
"Now remember, you're looking for the face not the name since you're hardly likely to recognize the name all right?" She asked us as we sat down at one of the large tables. The library was practically deserted since nobody was likely to be in there studying on the first day of classes!  
  
"Yes Ma'am." Martin said mockingly, but Jenny ignored him and opened up the first yearbook on her stack. With a sigh I followed suit, as did Martin. All was quiet for about ten minutes before Martin said "Eureka!"  
  
We stopped looking in our books and glanced at Martin's. "Here," He read out loud. "This is Michael Creevy, prefect, head boy, and even captain of the Gryffindoor Quidditch team. He has two older brothers who've also attended Hogwarts, Colin and Dennis."  
  
I peered at the photograph of the seventh year student and did some mental calculations in my mind. "Our parents would have been in their seventh year when Michael arrived. I wonder why he's hiding his name though.." I pondered.  
  
"I wonder why Snape so clearly hates him..." Jenny said thoughtfully. "I'm not sure when Snape went to Azkaban to work before coming back here but it's entirely possible he would have taught Michael for at least one year.."  
  
"Maybe Snape wants the Charms job now instead of the DADA spot?" Martin suggested. "Even better maybe Snape wants to take over the entire school. He IS the deputy headmaster isn't he?"  
  
"Is he?" I asked surprised. "Funny, I never knew that. But I don't think it really explains why Snape doesn't like Michael, and why Michael is using an alias." I glanced over at Jenny waiting for her to come up with some sort of explanation. Over the summer holidays I'd been telling Dad about how smart Jenny was and he'd laughed and said she reminded him of the way Aunt Hermione had been when they were at school. He'd added that at first she drove him and Uncle Ron mad, but then they'd all become friends. However this time Jenny had no answer.  
  
She shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm determined to find out. There must be some proper explanation. In the meantime I think we should keep this to ourselves. There's a reason for Michael using a fake name and he wouldn't want everyone in the school to know about it, would he?"  
  
During dinner that night we kept a very careful watch on Professor Mitchell and the looks Snape was giving him. There was no doubt about it, Snape was giving him the looks he usually reserved for me!  
  
*****  
  
The next day was Quidditch tryouts. Since Baston had left the new captain was one of the beaters, a wiry sixth year student named Norman Johnson. He watched, backed by the rest of the team, as we all gathered with our broomsticks. There was no rule about what year you had to be in to make the team, although generally first years didn't make it. My father had been the youngest seeker in over a century when he made the team in his first year. It had actually been a fluke the way he made it; apparently Draco Malfoy had stolen one of the student's rememberalls and Dad chased him to get it, and when Draco threw it Dad raced after it and caught it. Professor McGonagall had seen him out of her window, and decided that he was the perfect seeker. Much to my surprise even Jenny turned out for tryouts. When I asked her why she laughed embarrassed and said "Well you never know. I told you I've been practicing my flying over the summer with Dad." Greg appeared with his broom and grinned at us both. "You might as well go home now since that keeper spot is mine all ready." He told us. Before I could reply Johnson waved his arms for our attention.  
  
"Right all, can you hear me?" Johnson called.  
  
There was a chorus of replies in the affirmative.  
  
"Right then, as you all know of course we are today looking for both another seeker to replace Lyons, and a keeper to replace our esteemed ex- captain Baston. I've been thinking about it and have decided that the best way to go about this is for me to simply put you through some exercises designed to show all your skills rather than people just showing off their skills as a seeker or keeper. You'll be divided into groups and we'll walk around and take notes. Everyone gets to try everything once, and at the end we'll confer and give you a list of the people we want to come back tomorrow. This should be about ten people from whom we will pick our new seeker and keeper." Johnson explained. "Any questions before we get started?"  
  
"What if we get picked for the spot we don't want?" Someone called out.  
  
Johnson looked thoughtful. "If you really want to be on the team I wouldn't think you'd be fussy." He said. "Right, I'll divide you up now, and one group will practice catching snitches, another group will practice saving goals, and a third group will practice some flying exercises."  
  
Martin and I were put in the group practicing flying, whilst Jenny was put in the group practicing catching the snitch. "Good luck," She called to us with a grin.  
  
"I don't get her." Martin said to me, as we waited our turns. "Last year at first she didn't even come to the games, and now she wants to be on the team?"  
  
"Probably the influence of Uncle Ron." I replied.  
  
Martin was before me, and I had to admit he wasn't that bad a flyer as he flew around the course set by Johnson. The members of the team who were watching us whispered to each other and made a few notes. Martin came back over to me and sighed. "Well I did my best and I can't do any better than that." He said.  
  
"You were fine." I said as I was called.  
  
I took a deep breath as I mounted my broom. Before I was told to take off one of the beaters who was watching us asked me about my broom, looking rather impressed. I told him about how Dad wanted me to have the best broom possible. "That's right, your Harry Potter's son, aren't you?"  
  
I nodded, a little bit embarrassed by this. I didn't really want anyone to know who my Dad was in case they thought that I might get on the team from his influence.  
  
"Right, well, let's see how you go then." The boy said, and I took off. Once in the air my heart rate was back to normal and I felt relaxed and calm as I flew around the course. When I landed I thought I'd done pretty well, and a look at Martin's face confirmed it.  
  
Next we were to practice catching the snitch, which wasn't actually the snitch since it might take too long for us to try and catch it and we were on a time schedule. Rather it was a small round ball and it was thrown up into the air and we had to catch it whichever direction it went in. Most people went all right, although nobody got more than two out of the four. When it was my turn I missed the first one which was thrown to the left and I just missed it. I bit my lip angry; I'd gone too far to the left trying to anticipate the way that the ball was going to fall. My next one was thrown up to the center and I caught it easily. The third one went to the left again and again I caught it fairly easily. The last one was thrown to the right and I reached for it and almost fell off my broom, but I managed to hang onto it and hold it up in the air with a grin. There were cheers from down below including Martin who'd managed two out of four.  
  
Lastly we went to the exercise where we were to practice saving goals. Even though I wanted to be seeker I knew a good performance here could put me in the top ten and let me have the chance to come back the next day. Martin wasn't too bad at all, only one got through him and in my opinion it was a fairly tricky one. On my broom I waited in front of the goals, taking a few more deep breaths. I wasn't sure how well I'd go at this, but to my surprise I found I was better at it than I had even expected and I managed to stop them all, along with three others in my group.  
  
After we'd finished the team went off to confer and Jenny, Martin and I consulted on how we thought we'd done. Martin was pretty sure he wouldn't make the call back as in his opinion he'd done well, but not as well as some people.  
  
"How about you Jenny? Do you think you'll get called back?" I asked.  
  
To my surprise she shrugged. "I don't know." She said.  
  
"Well did you do all right or not?" I asked a little impatiently.  
  
"I guess I did all right." She said with a shrug.  
  
"Well Sam's going to be in the list for sure." Martin said with a grin. "He did brilliant."  
  
I felt my face redden a bit, but I didn't say anything. I wondered whether anyone knew just how much I wanted to be a seeker like my Dad. Everyone who'd seen him play said he was brilliant and I prayed feverantly I had the same Quidditch genes as both Dad and his father, James.  
  
"Right listen up crowd. We'd like the following people to come back tomorrow!" Johnson called. To my delight my name was third on the list and I heaved a sigh of relief. However the last name called shocked me; "And last but not least Jenny Weasley."  
  
"Jenny!" I cried, turning to her. "You didn't say you were THAT good."  
  
She shrugged again. "Who knows maybe it was just a fluke?" She offered.  
  
Greg overheard this and shook his head. "If they picked you to come back you must have been good Jenny. Well done little cousin."  
  
Jenny's face glowed red with pleasure. Normally Greg spent most of his time teasing her, although it was usually good-natured, so to receive a compliment like that pleased her. We made our way back up towards the castle talking about who we thought was good and who wasn't, but I was quieter than usual. I was still pretty shocked with Jenny being called back. Part of me was glad for her, but the other part of me was a little concerned. I hoped she hadn't learnt so much over the summer that she was a better flyer than me. What would I do if Jenny got the seekers spot instead of me? I decided not to think about it then- I'd think about it tomorrow instead.  
  
"I think you're a shoo in for the spot Sam," Henry Longbottom, one of the other second year Gryffindoors, said to me as we walked into the dining room. "I didn't see anyone better than you!"  
  
"Thanks." I said with a smile. My confidence lifted as we sat down to eat: after all I knew I could do it, so I just had to prove it the next day! 


	6. The new seeker and keeper

[A/N. I noticed that so far in this story I've not really written much about the classes like I did in the other one. To tell you the truth some of the classes and things they learnt in the real novels used to fascinate me which is why there was a bit of it in my first Sam Potter fiction, but I don't think it really matters that it's different in this one.]  
  
Chapter Six: The new seeker and Keeper.  
  
I didn't sleep much that night, I was so nervous about making the team. Even though Dad would never say it I thought that if I didn't make it I would somehow be letting him down. After all it was a hard act to follow- the youngest seeker in a century. But then again Dad in general was a hard act to follow. There was not a person in our world who didn't know all about the famous Harry Potter. Dad told me that coming to Hogwarts where he found out he was famous was quite a shock to him at first, although he never let it get the better of him, and even managed to defeat Voldemort on a few occasions. In the end I got up and went downstairs to the common room where the fire was still glowing slightly, and curled up in a chair beside it with a book on the Quidditch World Cup.  
  
"Can't sleep?" asked a voice suddenly and I jumped a mile. Georgia Weasley was coming down the stairs from the girl's dormitory.  
  
"Not really." I admitted. "What are you doing up?"  
  
She bit her lip and then came over to sit near the fire, warming her hands in front of it. "Stuff on my mind." She finally said.  
  
I marked the page in my book and put it aside. As the youngest Weasley in such a huge family Georgia was often overlooked, although Greg generally adored her. But I'd found her to a genuinely nice and funny person. "What's up? I thought you were enjoying it here?" I asked. "Are you homesick?"  
  
"I AM enjoying it here," Georgia hastened to assure me. "And I'm certainly not homesick after two days- although I've already got homework!"  
  
I laughed. "So have we, we got some in DADA yesterday and also some in potions. I think Professor Selwyn got a bit annoyed with us Gryffindoors because we were all thinking about tryouts."  
  
Georgia smiled, but I had the impression it was simply a polite smile and she wasn't too concerned about the tryouts, nor how much homework we got. She looked like there was something on her mind but from experience I knew you wouldn't get anything out of a Weasley unless they wanted you to get it out of them. Eventually she sighed and said "Sam, what do you know about Salazar Slytherin?"  
  
I frowned. "The usual- that he was one of the founders of Hogwarts along with Godric Gryffindoor, Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw. Because he was famous for being a parseltongue the Slytherin mascot is a snake. Salazar ended up leaving the school because he wanted to only admit magical students, whereas the others believed learning could be from non-magical families as well." I said.  
  
"Yes, and he left the Chamber of Secrets behind and it's been opened twice right? And when it was opened it said on the wall for enemies of the heir beware?" Georgia asked.  
  
"Yes, the first time by Voldemort and the second time- well that's pretty hush hush." I said, wracking my brains. I knew that Dad, Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione had been involved when the Chamber was opened for the second time and had actually saved the life of someone whilst defeating the basilisk, the huge snake which dwelt in the chamber. But like the first time the details were all kept very quiet and I didn't know much more than that. "Georgia, why do you want to know?"  
  
She sighed again, and then reached into her dressing gown pocket and handed me a note. It was written on what looked like old parchment and it said, "The serpent of Slytherin is back. Enemies of the heir beware."  
  
"Georgia where on earth did you get this?" I demanded.  
  
"It was on my bed, like someone put it there for me to see." Georgia said. "And I started thinking about it all, and I have to admit I'm a little scared."  
  
"It's probably a joke." I assured her. "And a silly one at that."  
  
"Mm." She agreed getting up. "I just wanted to give it to you."  
  
"Me?" I asked surprised. "Why me? Why not Greg or Francine? Or even Jenny?"  
  
Georgia pushed her hair back from her face and shrugged. "To tell you the truth I don't know.... it's weird really, I just felt like I had to give it to you..maybe it's because of your Dad and all?"  
  
I went red, and stuffed the note into my own dressing gown pocket. "Well don't worry about it Georgia, I'm sure it's just a stupid joke."  
  
"Right. Goodnight Sam." She said sleepily.  
  
"'night Georgia." I replied as she went back up to her room. I opened the book again, but soon fell asleep whilst reading it. The note went out of my mind when I was woken by Henry in the morning.  
  
"Was I snoring again Sam?" Henry asked sheepishly. "Dad does too- terribly. He said when he was here your Father and Ron used to get so annoyed with him. And then Dean and Seamus actually made a potion in their fifth year to stop him snoring. Unfortunately it didn't go as planned and Dad ended up passing wind for the next five hours straight instead."  
  
"You weren't snoring Henry." I assured him. "I just couldn't sleep."  
  
"Quidditch right?" Henry said nodding. "I saw them all sitting there last night working out who they were going to pick today."  
  
I looked surprised. "I thought we had more trials today." I said.  
  
Henry shook his head. "No, they're going to announce it. Maybe they'd seen all they needed to see?"  
  
His suggestion made my stomach lurch. I was convinced I hadn't done my best the day before. For the rest of the day I worried, despite many people telling me there was no question about it- I'd be on the team. I didn't even pay any attention to "Mitchell" in charms, and in History of Magic I fell asleep (although this wasn't exactly unusual for this class). After lunch we had transfiguration and Herbology and I managed to concentrate a little more, although my wrong answer when we were discussing what we'd learnt the year before in Transfiguration earnt me a dirty look from the headmistress. "Are your brains still on holidays Mr. Potter?" She asked me. "No they're on the Quidditch pitch miss." Alex Thomas replied and both the Gryffindoors and the Ravenclaws laughed. "Ah, that's right," The headmistress said. "They're going to decide the replacements today. I hope we do as well as we did last year or Professor Snape will never let me forget it."  
  
Finally it was afternoon and along with most of the Gryffindoor house we made our way to the pitch where the team were waiting. Greg was telling me he'd been speaking to Norman Johnson before and they had decided that they didn't need to see any more, they'd seen all they needed, so the ten of us called back didn't carry our broomsticks with us. I was still a bit disappointed because I thought it would be nice to have another chance to impress them, but also I thought it was the perfect day for flying. Dad often decides it's a perfect day for flying and goes off on his own for a ride even now. Mum told me once he likes to think alone about things, but she didn't specify what exactly.  
  
"Right, gather round, gather round." Johnson called. "We don't want to drag this out and torture you..."  
  
A few people laughed, but Jenny and I exchanged nervous looks. I was still also surprised about her being called back. It was certainly a turn up for the books when you thought back to the first flying lessons we had the year before and Jenny's broom had taken off leaving her terrified.  
  
"Okay we'll start with the keeper. This young man impressed us from the very start with his amazing skills. To tell you the truth we had a hard time deciding which position he was fit for, especially when we considered his pedigree, but then we decided that he was best for the spot of keeper. Therefore Gryffindoor's new keeper is none other than Sam Potter!" Johnson called loudly.  
  
I was shocked. I'd made the team as a keeper. I didn't know whether to be happy or not. Then I decided that at least I was on the team, and Dad had always said he hoped I'd be on the team, and he'd never specified that he hoped I'd be made seeker! So with a big grin I went and joined my teammates. As soon as I got back up to the school I'd have to send my parents an owl telling them that their son was now part of the Gryffindoor Quidditch team!  
  
"Right, well the first thing for me to say is that we haven't had a female seeker in almost thirty-five years, but tonight we're going to change this. When we saw this young lady fly we thought that whilst not technically perfect she was pretty damn good. And in fact in the snitch exercise she was the only one to get all four caught." Johnson said. While he was speaking I'd been watching Jenny, and when he said the last bit her face went red, telling me before he even announced that "the new Gryffindoor seeker is Jenny Weasley. Another one following in the footsteps of relatives. Her Father was on the team at the same time as Sam's father was, as were her uncles."  
  
Jenny came up to join the team and her face was positively glowing. I managed to congratulate her, but I wasn't sure how I really felt about it, after all I'd had my heart set on being seeker and here was Jenny, someone who didn't even know how to fly before the summer, getting the position I'd so desperately wanted.  
  
"So here you are Gryffindoors- the team which is going to win this years championship. Myself as beater, Luke Wilks as the other beater, our chasers Jessica Bell, and Emily Brown, our keeper Sam Potter and our seeker Jenny Weasley." Johnson cried and everyone started cheering.  
  
Greg made his way back to me. "Come on Sam- we're going to celebrate this." He said.  
  
I shrugged his arm off and muttered that I had to send an owl to my parents first and then I'd join the celebrations. I didn't notice that Jenny followed me as I left the group and headed towards the owlery.  
  
"SAM!" She called. "Wait for me. I've got to send an owl as well."  
  
I sighed and reluctantly waited for her. "Bet your parents will be shocked." I said as we walked.  
  
"Sure, but Dad's going to be over the moon. I don't think anyone back at The Burrows is going to hear the end of it for awhile. Dad will probably think it competes with Paul being made head boy." Jenny said with an embarrassed grin.  
  
I managed another smile, but then we walked in silence for a bit before Jenny spoke. "Are you mad at me Sam?" She asked.  
  
I was shocked at her upfront question, but I shook my head. "No, I'm not mad, I'm just..well I'm a little bit disappointed, but I'm also pretty shocked. I guess I always just assumed I'd be made a seeker not a keeper."  
  
"Well at least you're still on the team." Jenny said. "And we're going to have so much fun Sam. We've just got to kick Slytherin's butt so we can wipe that smile off Alforth's ugly face."  
  
I laughed. "That's the spirit." I said, and I decided that I wasn't upset about Jenny being made seeker. After all being a keeper would probably be better for me in the long run anyway since nobody would be comparing me with Dad all the time and I knew there was no way as a seeker that I could ever be as good as Dad had been. "We better put that in our owls also. Dad and Uncle Ron will love that idea!" 


	7. A strange conversation

[A/N. Sorry the chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but I didn't have time to write a huge one today and I wanted to get this up since I have also updated all my other stories. I was trying to think of some of the things they learn- spell wise that is- in their second year, but I couldn't really remember any. Maybe there wasn't a lot of that in the second HP book? I might just have to make some things up if I can't remember just to fill the lesson side of the story since after all, they are at a school!]  
  
Chapter Seven: A strange conversation.  
  
When Jenny and I arrived back in the common room after sending our owls there was a crowd gathered in the room and when Johnson spotted us he called out "Three cheers for our new keeper and seeker!" I felt my face turn red at the exuberant cheers, and glancing at Jenny saw that her face was equally red.  
  
"Want a sweet?" Greg offered his cousin, holding out a small, red sweet.  
  
Jenny shrugged and took it. "But I can't celebrate- I've got some study to do. We're starting basic animal transfiguration this week and it's pretty hard! I hope you actually study this year since you're taking your OWLS." She said, as she popped it in her mouth. She sucked on it for a moment and then a strange look crossed her face, but it was too late. She was already beginning to turn a nice bright pink.  
  
"GREG!" Francine yelled, and she grabbed Jenny by the arm and the two hurried up to the dormitories.  
  
Martin was impressed. "What was that?" He asked Greg eagerly, but Greg refused to give his secrets away in front of all these people. I noticed that Georgia was sitting by the fire engrossed in her transfiguration text and not joining in the party. Part of me was tempted to ask Greg if she was all right, especially after our conversation that morning, but I decided not to. It wasn't any use worrying Greg over some stupid joke. Instead I figured I was better off enjoying the party for the time being.  
  
*****  
  
The next morning Jenny was back to her normal colour except for a slight pink tinge on her skin. She was, however, furious with Greg. "He can't help himself." She complained to us as we walked down to school. "No bloody wonder everyone said Uncle George and Uncle Fred were pains."  
  
Martin grinned at her. "You have to admit it was pretty funny." He said.  
  
That was the wrong thing to say to her at that time. She clutched her books against her chest and said stiffly, "I do NOT think it was at all funny thank you very much." And she flounced ahead of us.  
  
"Sam, wait a second. I've just got to do up my shoe." Martin called, and I stopped and waited as he did it up and then we went after the others towards the Great Hall. A voice coming from one of the classrooms stopped us in our tracks though.  
  
"You think I'm wrong Michael?" Snape asked coldly.  
  
Martin clutched at my arm and we both moved closer to the classroom in order to hear what was going on.  
  
"Of course not Severus." Our charms teacher assured Snape. "It's just that I think it could be a little risky, that's all."  
  
"Risky." Snape scoffed. "Sometimes we've got to take risks in life Michael, and I'm sure you know all about that."  
  
I frowned, there was some kind of hidden meaning in Snape's words then, and they were loaded with innuendo that I had no idea of.  
  
"Relax Severus," Michael said calmly. "I'm not going to change my mind. And stop looking so bloody gloomy- you could do with a cheering charm, maybe I should have my third years make one for you?"  
  
Snape made a sound which sounded like a grunt, and then said "We best get to breakfast before we're missed and we arouse suspicions. But don't forget you promised Michael and I don't look kindly on people who break their promises- especially something as important at this!"  
  
Martin and I looked at each other and then hurried away turning the corner just as Snape and Michael came out of the room. We didn't speak until we were far enough away to speak without fear of being overheard.  
  
"What on earth was all that about?" Martin asked me.  
  
I shook my head. "I don't know, but Snape sounded as if he were forcing Michael into doing something he wasn't exactly keen on doing." I suggested.  
  
Martin frowned. "This is getting stranger and stranger."  
  
A sudden thought popped into my head which made me grin. Martin demanded to know what was so funny. "It's just that at this time last year we were trying to work out who Merlin was, and this time we're trying to work out what's going on with the charms teachers fake name!"  
  
Martin grinned too. "Best not tell Jenny or we'll be back in the library before we can say Snape's an ugly slimy git!"  
  
"SNAPE'S AN UGLY SLIMY GIT!"  
  
Martin and I both jumped and then turned to see a ghost wearing a strange hat and loudly coloured bow-tie grinning down at us.  
  
"Peeves!" I snapped. "If you're trying to get us into trouble we're not doing anything wrong."  
  
Peeves was the school's poltergeist and there was nothing he liked more than annoying the students. My Dad told me that he'd been the same when they were at school here, and I was still annoyed with him from the time he'd got us dragged before the Ghosts Council in a trial last year.  
  
"Making fun of the teachers is naughty." Peeves offered, turning a somersault in mid air.  
  
"Not really." I said with a shrug. "I don't believe there is any rule against it."  
  
"What are you all doing here? You should be having breakfast you should. Don't like it when children are creeping around the corridors I don't." Croaked another voice. Mr. Filch, the new caretaker, was glaring at us angrily.  
  
"Sorry, we're on our way there now." Martin said, not bothering to tell him that we were hardly creeping around anywhere, and Mr. Filch relaxed.  
  
"See you get there now then." He said, and then he glared at Peeves. "I know it was you who caused that mess in the trophy room Peeves, and one of these days I am going to catch you and punish you I am."  
  
Peeves cackled and floated off, and Martin and I made our way to the Great Hall where breakfast was indeed already in progress. Jenny shot us a dirty look as we took our seats.  
  
"You'd think we were late for lessons or something." Martin muttered to me, nodding in Jenny's direction.  
  
I shrugged and got stuck into my bacon and eggs instead of responding. Even though Martin and I'd been joking about not telling Jenny what we'd just overheard I knew that in the next break we'd have to tell her and see whether or not she had any ideas. After all, as much as I hated to admit it, her brains could come in useful sometimes. 


	8. The Serpent of Slytherin

[A/N. As with all my other stories I have to apoligise for the long time in which it has taken for me to write and post this. I have no real excuse other than I am lazy. I also mentioned on my other stories that I'd try to update all my stories more regularly after this weekend in which I am uploading another chapter for them all.]  
  
Chapter Eight: The Serpent of Slytherin.  
  
"..so that's about it." I finished telling Jenny about the conversation Martin and I had overheard that morning as the two of us made our way down towards the Quidditch pitch for practice. "What do you think?"  
  
"I don't know." Jenny admitted, her brow furrowed with concentration. "It sounds like Michael's promised to do something for Snape and Snape's concerned he's having second thoughts about it."  
  
"Right," I agreed. "But what? Do you think it's something evil?"  
  
"Evil?" Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think that's exaggerating a bit Sam? I mean sure, Snape's not the nicest person in the world, but I don't think he's evil. And I certainly don't think Michael is."  
  
I sighed. "But Snape sounded mean.."  
  
"Snape always sounds mean." Jenny replied. "Look Sam, can I speak honestly here?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"I know last year was a little..well..strange for us what with Merlin, and the ghost's council, and Voldemort trying to kill us, but don't go thinking things are mysterious and strange all the time this year. I know that our parents had some adventures here all the time, but that doesn't mean we will too. Can't we just enjoy our time here without having to live in the shadow of the famous Harry Potter?" Jenny asked.  
  
My jaw dropped and I felt my face pale. "For your information," I said stiffly. "I'm hardly trying to copy Dad and the others. If you don't want to think there is anything strange going on then don't."  
  
"Sam." Jenny said shaking her head. "Don't go getting all offended. I just don't think there is anything in this."  
  
"So the fact that Michael is using a fake name and Snape was threatening him doesn't seem strange to you?" I asked, avoiding her gaze as we neared the pitch.  
  
"No." Jenny said. "And further more- it's none of our business."  
  
"None of our business?" I repeated and stopped in my tracks. "You're kidding right?"  
  
"No." Jenny said again, and then she pushed her hair back from her face with a sigh. "Sam, please let it be. There is nothing strange going on at Hogwarts like there was last year, and I for one am not going to waste my time looking for things which aren't there."  
  
"Fine." I said coldly. "Just fine." And I stormed on ahead from her. Last year she'd been as curious as Martin and I as to what was going on with Merlin and the Ghosts Council. This year she was acting as though nothing was up and I didn't get it. I had to admit also the comment about my Dad hurt me slightly. I didn't think I was anything like Dad. Dad was one of a kind having defeated the worlds' greatest evil wizard on many occasions, and we'd only defeated him once. I also didn't think that it was very likely that Voldemort would come back and try to kill me again. But the thing which really got to me was Jenny's insinuation that I wanted to find an adventure at school every year so I could be like Dad, Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione. I didn't. But I DID think there was something strange going on, and if Jenny wanted to stick her head in the sand and pretend there was nothing up then that was fine with me!  
  
Johnson gave me a big grin as I strode onto the pitch ahead of Jenny. "You look angry and determined Sam- just like a keeper should. We've got to get ready for the game against Hufflepuff this weekend." He said. "Now gather round. We're going to try a new formation today, something I came up with the other week."  
  
Once up in the air my anger at Jenny disappeared and for the next hour or so we practiced hard and I had no time to even think of anything but Quidditch. Sitting on my broom by the goals I saw Jenny fly under Luke, and then loop up to fly over Emily and get the snitch. I had to admit that it WAS pretty impressive. Maybe having Jenny on the team was going to be better than I'd thought it would be. In fact maybe this second year at Hogwarts was going to be even better than the first!  
  
*****  
  
I trudged up towards the school later on, exhausted, my broom hanging limply from one hand. "Potter, wait up." Someone called and I turned to see one of the girls on my team, Jessica, hurrying after me. I didn't know her very well as she was currently a fifth year student.  
  
"So, that was one hell of a practice today. I thought Baston was obsessed, but I think Johnston's just as bad." She told me with a tired grin.  
  
"Dad was telling me once about the captain he had when he first made the team- before he was captain that is- a guy named Wood. Dad said that Wood had them practicing in all kinds of weather including rain and thunderstorms he was so determined." I replied.  
  
Jessica laughed. "Well I hope Johnston's not that obsessed. I'm not a big fan of playing in the rain." She said, and then she frowned slightly. "Sam, I was watching you during practice and I couldn't help but notice you were giving Jenny some strange looks. I know that with your Dad being Harry Potter and all you're probably a bit disappointed that you didn't get the seekers spot-"  
  
I interrupted her. "I was at first, but only for a few minutes. Actually I decided that being keeper was probably better for me than being seeker. This way I won't get compared with Dad all the time." I explained.  
  
She nodded wisely. "Yeah, I bet being the son of Harry Potter can be a little hard at times?"  
  
I thought back to the conversation I'd had with Jenny before practice. "It can." I said. "Some people seem to think I want to compete with Dad, to be better than him in everything and not just Quidditch."  
  
"It would be understandable if you did though." Jessica said as we entered the castle, and began the trek up the stairs. "I mean everyone knows the details of Harry Potter's ever year here. How in first year he saved the Philosophers Stone from Voldemort, how in his second year he saved someone from the Basilisk and closed the Chamber of Secrets, how in his third year he-"  
  
"I know, I know." I interrupted again. "But I don't really think about it. Dad and I are pretty different and I have no intentions of having to be the same as him." I wished Jenny were here to hear that since she thought I was imagining things when it came to Snape and Michael simply to be like Dad.  
  
Someone was racing down the stairs and Jessica and I moved to the side of the staircase quickly. It was Michael, or Professor Mitchell if we're going to be technical about it. He stopped when he saw us. "On your way up to the common room?" He asked us breathlessly.  
  
"Sure are." Jessica said, and she peered at him closely. "Sir, are you all right?"  
  
"Fine, fine." He replied. "I recommend you go up to your rooms then quick smart." And before we could ask him why, he was rushing down the stairs again.  
  
"Weird one that." Jessica said shaking her head as we started up the staircase again. "But then the last three charms teachers we've had here have been a bit strange. Professor Symonds only lasted a year, and then Horring was here two years, and now Mitchell."  
  
I didn't comment on that; what could I say? I agreed with her one hundred percent- even if some people didn't.  
  
We came out onto the fifth floor landing and turned to walk down the corridor towards the next staircase when we both stopped simultaneously. There, written in huge black letters on the wall were the words "The Serpent of Slytherin at last returns to Hogwarts. Enemies of the Heir beware." It took me a moment before I remembered the words on the piece of parchment Georgia had found on her bed: The serpent of Slytherin is back. Enemies of the Heir beware.  
  
"What on earth?" Jessica muttered and she moved closer to the wall, and then stopped in her tracks. "SAM!" She cried, pointing upwards. My gaze followed her hand and there, floating in mid-air with his head thrown back and his eyes rolled back in their sockets was none other than Peeves the poltergeist.  
  
There was the sound of steps coming closer. And then the headmistress came into the hall. "What's up children?" She asked casually, and then she saw the words and Peeves and her mouth formed an O.  
  
"Professor McGonagall, what does it mean?" I asked recovering my voice.  
  
"I'm sure," She said slowly. "That it means nothing and is merely a student playing a stupid joke."  
  
"But when the Chamber of Secrets-" I began, but she interrupted me.  
  
"Mr. Potter, this has nothing to do with the Chamber of Secrets. The chamber has been destroyed and I'll thank you to keep ideas like that to yourself and not scare other members of the school." The headmistress snapped curtly. "The caretaker will remove the writing before it gets seen by too many people."  
  
Jessica spoke up now. "Professor McGonagall," she said. "What's wrong with Peeves?"  
  
The headmistress looked worried briefly, before replying "I'm sure he's had too much to drink or something. The ghosts were celebrating something earlier in the day and more than likely Peeves overdosed. He'll be fine. Now if you two don't mind I want you both to go up to your dormitories please."  
  
We went up, not speaking. I for one was thinking about the words written on both the piece of parchment- which was still in my dressing gown pocket- and the wall. I was trying to think what I'd heard about the Chamber of Secrets, but all I'd ever heard was basically from other people, never from Dad who'd been directly involved in it. But something I did know, as did everyone in our world- the words "Enemies of the heir beware" had been found on the wall on both occasions that the chamber had been opened. And then another thought occurred to me, one which made me gasp and Jessica look at me strangely: why had Michael been rushing down the stairs? Had he seen the writing on the wall?  
  
We went through the entrance to the common room giving the fat lady the password "Gizzards" and Jessica was calling for everyone to listen. They did as she related her tale of what we'd found on the wall- despite the headmistress asking us to keep it quiet.  
  
"The wordings similar to when the Chamber of Secrets was opened." Francine said frowning. "I don't like this one bit."  
  
"But the headmistress assured Sam it wasn't the chamber, that the chamber had been destroyed." Jessica argued.  
  
"It has." Francine replied. "But I can't help but notice the similarities."  
Everyone started talking at once then about what they thought was going on. I saw Jenny watching me silently, but when I looked at her, she looked away. Now was she still going to claim there was nothing strange going on at Hogwarts? 


	9. Where is Jenny?

Chapter nine: Where is Jenny?  
  
The conversation raged about the Serpent of Slytherin and whether or not it was related to the Chamber of Secrets until it was time for dinner.  
  
"Maybe the headmistress will mention it at dinner?" Martin offered as we began to descend the stairs.  
  
"I don't think so." I replied. "I got the impression she wasn't going to mention it to anyone, and she expected us to do the same."  
  
"She'll be furious if she knew that the first thing Jessica did when she entered the common room was to tell everyone." Martin replied with a grin. I thought that was a bit of an understatement. There was a tug on my arm then, and I looked down to see Georgia.  
  
"Hey." I greeted her.  
  
"Can I have a word for a moment?" she asked, and then she glanced at Martin. "Alone?"  
  
Martin sighed dramatically. "What is it with your cousins mate? They always want to speak to you alone. I'll see you in the hall."  
  
When he'd left Georgia glanced around to make sure there was nobody else in the proximity before speaking. "Something strange has happened." She told me.  
  
"What?" I asked, thinking of the piece of parchment up in my room.  
  
"I was in the bathroom downstairs, you know the one with the ghost?" Georgia asked.  
  
I knew that room only too well, having been dragged into it by Jenny last year for a private conference. The ghost who haunted it, Moaning Myrtle, had been rather fond of my father. "Yeah, I think I know the one you mean." I said casually.  
  
"Well I was in there today and there was this strange noise I heard coming from somewhere in that room. It was a kind of hissing noise, like a snake sort of." Georgia said.  
  
I felt my heart skip a beat: like a snake Georgia had said. The basilisk which had terrorised Hogwarts students before was a snake, a giant snake. "And?" I asked anxiously. "Did anything else happen?"  
  
"No.." Georgia said frowning. "But it was almost as if- and this is going to sound really stupid so please don't laugh at me- as if it were pleading with me to help it. I got scared and I left the bathroom in a rush. And then when I got back up to the common room everyone was talking about the message on the wall, and the chamber of secrets. Isn't this too much of a coincidence Sam?"  
  
I shook my head. "I don't know, but I know I don't like it." I said. "Maybe we should talk to Paul about it- even though he is a complete pain he IS the head boy.."  
  
Georgia shook her head adamantly. "He will tell me I'm imagining things. I know Paul. One year I told him that there was a ghost in my grandparents attic since I could hear it, but he laughed and told me I was imagining things. When I asked my grandparents the next day they told me that there WAS a ghoul there. I told Paul, and he just shrugged. And then he said, well you can't expect a little girl to tell the truth all the time? And besides, knowing your family too well, it could very well have been a prank." She insisted.  
  
"Okay, well what about Greg or Francine?" I asked, deciding that it probably wasn't the best move to tell Paul after all.  
  
"Greg would be worried." Georgia said thoughtfully. "So would Francine and I don't want them to be worrying about me when they're in such an important year of their schooling." As it was Greg and Francine's fifth year they were sitting their OWLS.  
  
"So we don't tell anyone?" I asked.  
  
"We could tell Jenny. She's pretty smart. Dad reckons she's going to end up getting all the marks her Mum got." Georgia said, with a shrug.  
  
I shook my head. "Not a good plan." I said. "She thinks it's all my imagination."  
  
"But the writing on the wall was there!" Georgia protested. "And you can show her the piece of paper with the writing I found."  
  
"Yeah, and she'll have some stupid logical reason to refute it all." I argued. "I guess for the moment we just keep this to ourselves Georgia. But if anything else happens, let me know okay?"  
  
"Okay." Georgia agreed with a sigh.  
  
We went into the great hall for our breakfast. As I sat down I noticed that Jenny wasn't there. I leant over and asked Kathy, one of the other Gryffindor second years, where Jenny was.  
  
She looked puzzled. "Well she was with us when we were coming down the stairs, so I don't know where she's got to." She said.  
  
Martin overheard and suggested we trace her to her lair. I looked confused until her explained that he meant the library.  
  
"But why would she go to the library now?" I asked. "I would have thought she was hungry for dinner."  
  
"Who knows?" Martin replied, obviously not bothered.  
  
As we ate our dinner conversation about the Serpent of Slytherin continued at the Gryffindor table with Paul arguing that it was just someone playing a trick. When she heard him say this Georgia gave me a look which clearly said "See?"  
  
"May I have everyone's attention?" The headmistress asked as the meal was winding down to a close. We all exchanged looks- could it be about the Serpent of Slytherin?  
  
"It has come to my attention that some of you are talking about something which happened this afternoon. At first I was not going to comment on this since I didn't think you should know about it, however after consultation with my staff I have changed my mind. I don't want anyone to be worried, or anyone to panic but this afternoon writing was found on a wall- the same wall as before- declaring that the Serpent of Slytherin was on the loose and that enemies of the heir should be aware. No doubt everyone has heard bits and pieces of the legend of the Chamber of Secrets. Let me stress to you now that the Chamber was destroyed once and for all, by professors including myself. Therefore this writing about the Serpent of Slytherin does NOT refer to the basilisk which dwelt within, as it was also destroyed. We feel that at the moment there is no concern about this writing, but we wanted everyone here to be informed, and we will inform you should anything happen to make us change our minds. If anyone knows anything about this could they please speak to myself, or one of the other professors so it can be dealt with?" The headmistress finished and looked over the crowd of students. Of course this was not news to us at the Gryffindor table, but to the rest of the school it was.  
  
"Now, I think with dinner being over you may all return to your common rooms." The headmistress called over the noise. As we made our way back towards the common room I thought about what the headmistress said. I wasn't going to comment on it out loud, but I thought about the look in her eyes when she first saw the writing. She hadn't looked as though she thought it was all just a stupid prank. But if she was telling the truth and the chamber really had been destroyed, what, or who, was the Serpent of Slytherin?  
  
To my surprise Jenny wasn't back in the common room when we returned. "I told you she was in the library." Martin said to me, and I shrugged. But something was nagging at me, some strange feeling and I decided to check out the library. Even though I was still angry at Jenny for our conversation earlier that day where she'd told me there was nothing going on at Hogwarts other than my over-active imagination and my desire to be greater than my famous father, I couldn't help but be a little bit concerned. If she'd been on her way down the stairs with the girls why hadn't she told one of them she was going to the library instead?  
  
I walked all the way through the library searching for Jenny to no avail. Maybe she'd gone back up to the common room when I was on my way down or searching, I thought, and I went back up there. But when I entered it she wasn't there. I couldn't help but be a bit worried now: where on earth was Jenny? 


	10. A conference with the Headmistress

Chapter Ten: A conference with the headmistress.  
  
The next morning at breakfast there was still no sign of Jenny and Kathy confided to me that her bed hadn't been slept in. I glanced over at Georgia whose face had gone pale at the news. It was time to tell someone I decided, so as soon as breakfast was over I made my way over to the headmistress. She didn't notice me for a moment, and then she saw me standing there.  
  
"Hello Sam, can I help you? Good job on making the house team too- I bet your father will be very pleased." She said absently.  
  
"Yeah, he will be. I sent him an owl telling him about it the other day." I replied. "But Professor McGonagall- there's a problem."  
  
"A problem?" She repeated, and for the first time she looked at my face. "You look serious Sam. Let's go up to my office where we can have some privacy."  
  
I followed her through the castle to a large stone gargoyle. "Chocolate custard." She said, and to my surprise the gargoyle moved aside, showing a large stone staircase.  
  
"Well come on, don't wait all day." The headmistress said, from the stairs, and I hurried after her. The staircase seemed to go on forever, but eventually it came out into a room. From the view outside the window I realised we were in one of the towers. The room was warmly decorated, and a large bookshelf lined the walls. The headmistress went to her desk and sat down.  
  
"Now that you've finished staring, please take a seat and tell me what this problem is Sam." She said, but there was a smile on her face as she said it. I'd come to realise that whilst she was firm and strict, she was also fair. In my father's time here she'd been the deputy under Dumbledore, but he'd retired quite a few years back.  
  
My face red I hastily sat down. "It's Jessica." I said. "She's gone."  
  
The headmistress raised an eyebrow. "Gone?" She repeated slowly. "Gone where?"  
  
"I don't know. She was on her way to dinner with us last night, and then she just..well she disappeared..and nobody's seen her since." I said.  
  
The headmistress's face grew grave. "So she's been missing all night then?" She asked me.  
  
"Yeah," I said. "At first I thought she might have been in the library- she'd live there if she could, but she wasn't and nobody knows where she is. Professor McGonagall- this doesn't have anything to do with the Serpent of Slytherin does it?"  
  
The headmistress leant back in her chair, closing her eyes for a brief moment. "Sam, what do you know about the Chamber of Secrets?" She asked me slowly.  
  
"Not much." I admitted. "It seems like it's kind of a secret..I know that Dad, Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione saved someone from the chamber, and that Dad defeated the Basilisk, but that's about it. Dad doesn't really talk about it. I don't know why though.." I trailed off. I knew about much of the things which had happened to Dad at Hogwarts, including the time he was transported to Voldemort and his followers and another Hogwarts student had died, but when it came to the chamber he was surprisingly quiet.  
  
The headmistress nodded. "You're right. The chamber was opened again, and it was your father who was the one to defeat the basilisk and in doing that he saved someone's life, which is probably why he doesn't speak about it much-"  
  
"-If I saved someone's life I'd want to tell everyone about it!" I interrupted and the headmistress smiled.  
  
"Imagine growing up famous for something you didn't even really remember Sam. That was what happened to your father, and therefore his outlook on things would have been a lot different to you and I." The headmistress explained, not seeming annoyed that I interrupted her. "Do you know who opened the chamber Sam?"  
  
"People say it was Voldemort, but I don't know how since at that stage he wasn't exactly well.." I replied.  
  
"Voldemort did open the chamber, but he chose to act through someone else. Voldemort preserved himself in a diary, and then used the diary to get someone else to continue what he saw as his noble work." The headmistress explained.  
  
I felt my jaw drop. "But that's like last year- when he went back in time to get Merlin to kill us!" I said shocked.  
  
"Precisely. Voldemort was very smart Sam, but not smart enough to ever kill your father, nor you." The headmistress said. "But about the chamber Sam- it was destroyed after the incident in it, and the basilisk was killed by your father."  
  
"Are you saying there is no way that the chamber could be opened again then?" I asked.  
  
"I wish I was saying that.." The headmistress looked troubled. "The truth is Sam Voldemort has proven himself on many occasions- both in the past and more recently- to be smarter than anyone had ever anticipated.."  
  
"So the Chamber could be opened again?" I asked, feeling my heart begin to race.  
  
"I don't know." The headmistress said unhappily. "I wish I knew."  
  
"What about Jenny?" I demanded. "How do we find her?"  
  
"WE?" The headmistress repeated slowly. And then she leant forward on her desk. "Sam there are some things which you shouldn't get involved in- this is one. It would take very advanced dark magic to open that chamber again, dark magic against which you would be no match. I want you to do me a favor? We'll put out a story that Jenny is in the hospital wing with a contagious disease to buy time, and the teachers of this school, NOT YOU, will look for Jenny. I need your co-operation on this one though Sam. You must not tell anyone about this conversation here today, and you must lead them to believe Jenny is simply sick. A panic would do nothing to help the situation." She looked at me carefully.  
  
I took a deep breath. I didn't know what to say. The idea of doing nothing when Jenny was lost didn't appeal to me, but then nor did the idea of crossing Professor McGonagall. "Okay." I promised.  
  
The headmistress sighed. "Sam, you remind me of your father in so many ways- not only do you look like him, with your eyes and hair, but you seem to have inherited a lot of his characteristics, including bravery. Not many people would have done what you did last year." She paused. "But you've got to trust me on this one. If, and I stress IF, Jenny has been taken by the serpent the only ones who will get her back would be the teachers." She stood up, signaling the end of the discussion.  
  
I stood up too, but I didn't speak. I don't like to lie, and I wasn't about to say I wouldn't get involved in case I did.  
  
"What class are you missing?" The headmistress asked.  
  
"Herbology." I replied.  
  
"I will give you a note to take to Professor Sprout excusing you." The headmistress said, and she bent over her desk writing something. Then she handed me the note. "By the way Sam, there's an interesting book in the library you might enjoy called "ADADA Beasts." It's in the restricted section, but I am going to give you a note to get it out. I think it could be something you'd like to read." She handed me another note.  
  
I nodded puzzled. Unlike Jenny I wasn't one to get books out of the library for extra reading or something. I remembered Uncle Ron telling us how Aunt Hermione had always borrowed huge books from the library for extra reading, but then adding that even though he and Dad didn't do the same they had ended up getting pretty good marks. After he'd said that Mum had hastened to add that it wouldn't hurt to do extra study, but I made up my mind that I wasn't going to waste my time at Hogwarts in the library.  
  
"You may go now." The headmistress said as she sat back down. "And don't worry Sam- we'll find Jenny for you."  
  
"Thank you." I said, and I left the room, putting the second note into my robes. I'd have to be pretty bored to get extra reading out of the library that was for sure! 


	11. Pretences

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Pretences.  
  
"She's sick?" Georgia repeated that night when I was telling everyone the lie the headmistress had requested. "Can I visit her? I learnt how to charm flowers so they smile in Charms yesterday, and I bet she'd love some."  
  
"No, no visitors." I said quickly. Georgia's face fell and I hurried to explain that she was contagious.  
  
"Someone better get her books to her at least. She'll have a heart attack if she can't study and keep up with the lessons." Greg said, earning him a glare from Francine.  
  
"Anyway," I said. "I just thought you all should know in case you'd noticed she wasn't here." Over their heads I caught Martin's eye and nodded slightly towards the dormitory. He headed up there, and a few minutes later I muttered something about being tired. Luckily Henry and Alex weren't there, so we had the room to ourselves. I quickly repeated the conversation I'd had with the headmistress that morning.  
  
Martin looked shocked. "I know I tease her and complain about her all the time, but I was actually beginning to get used to her. I'm sure the teachers will find her though, won't they?"  
  
I sighed and flopped onto my bed. "I hope so. I complain about her too, but she's like my cousin, and I don't know what I'd do if something had happened to her. I felt terrible telling that lie back down there but the headmistress was pretty firm about me not telling anyone."  
  
"So you come up and tell me?" Martin said with a grin. "But listen Sam- what McGonagall said about not trying to find her yourself. She's right. You're only a teenage wizard."  
  
"I know." I muttered sulkily. I couldn't tell Martin this, but I felt guilty about Jenny's sudden disappearance. When she'd gone we hadn't really been talking, in fact I'd spent most of my time ignoring her or giving her dirty looks.  
  
"Hey," said Martin suddenly as a thought occurred to him. "Who's going to play seeker in the match against Hufflepuff on Saturday now Jenny's not here?"  
  
"I don't know." I said with a shrug. "I hadn't thought about that."  
  
"Are you sure you haven't kidnapped her and hidden her so that you can be seeker? Follow in your Dad's footsteps?" Martin teased.  
  
I glared at him. "Why does everyone all of the sudden think I want to be like Dad? That's why I wasn't talking to Jenny before she disappeared- she said I wanted to be like Dad and have adventures here all the time when I mentioned that Michael was a little bit strange, and Snape a little bit evil. I tried to tell her she was wrong, that just because we had a strange year last year didn't mean that. And then I get it off McGonagall." I snapped.  
  
Martin looked shocked by my outburst. "I didn't mean it like that Sam." He said slowly.  
  
I sighed. "Sorry, I'm just worried about Jenny. When she turns up I'm going to kill her for worrying everyone so much." I said.  
  
*****  
  
"Sam, could you stay behind for a moment after class?" Michael asked after Charms the next day. My lie to everyone had worked- nobody had mentioned going to see Jenny in the hospital wing.  
  
"Meet you in Herbology." Martin called and he left the room with the rest of the class.  
  
Michael waited until he was sure the rest of the class had left before speaking. "Listen Sam, we teachers know about Jenny disappearing." He told me. "We're looking high and low for her."  
  
"Is there any clues? Does anyone have any idea?" I asked.  
  
Michael sighed heavily. "Not at the moment." He admitted. "In fact, if they haven't found her by Christmas- and that's only a week and a half away- the headmistress is going to have to tell her parents."  
  
I took a deep breath. "Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron will be devastated." I managed. Not to say anything of the rest of the family. The last two years since we'd been at Hogwarts I'd noticed that Greg had teased Jenny terribly, but at the same time I knew they were fond of each other. It was a pretty close family, one I usually felt part of because of the Weasley's virtually adopting my Dad when he was younger.  
  
"I just wondered..I know what it's like when you're talking to the headmistress..is there anything you know which could help us find Jenny? Anything at all?" And his dark eyes bored into mine.  
  
I thought about the note Georgia had come to me with, and the strange happenings she'd heard in the bathroom. And then I thought about the fact that for some reason this man was using a fake name. And that Martin and I had overheard a conversation between him and Snape where he had promised Snape something. And that just before Jessica and I had found the writing on the wall about the Serpent of Slytherin we'd met Michael running down the stairs looking worried and flustered.  
  
So I shook my head. "No..Professor Mitchell." I said.  
  
"Very well, you may go to your next class Sam." Michael said, sitting back down in his chair. I hurried out of the room and bumped into a young girl. For a moment I wondered who she was and then I realised- Alforth's sister. I laughed and steadied her.  
  
"Where's the fire?" I teased. To be honest I felt sorry for her- not only was she the twin sister of Alforth, she was also a year below him, which couldn't have been easy.  
  
She looked surprised I wasn't teasing her. "There isn't one- I'm lost. I was on my way to Transfiguration and the staircase changed." She explained.  
  
"Right, Alison isn't it?" She nodded and I started to walk. "Come on- I'll make sure you get to McGonagall's classroom on my way to Herbology."  
  
We walked along in silence and then all of a sudden she blurted out "You know you're not as bad as Alforth said you were."  
  
I raised an eyebrow. There wasn't really much you could say to that was there?  
  
"He complained about you all summer. Potter this, Potter that. And when you made keeper on the Gryffindor team-" She laughed. "He was furious! Especially when he got an owl from Dad telling him that if Harry Potter's son could make the team so could Draco Malfoy's. I got the impression that our parents didn't exactly get along at school?"  
  
I thought about what I knew about the Malfoys. From what I knew nobody really had ever gotten along with them unless they were also in Slytherin. And everyone hated Slytherins unless they were one. It seemed strange to me to think that this girl wouldn't know all that- especially being a Malfoy! I shrugged. "Well you know what kids are like at school." I said diplomatically. "That's McGonagall's room down there. She's not going to be happy with you."  
  
"I better run. Thanks." And she turned and raced down towards the classroom. I watched her for a moment before going out to Herbology. For some reason Professor Sprout herself was running late, so I was on time. I filled Martin in on my conversation with Michael during the lesson.  
  
"I'm glad you didn't tell him. Now that I think about it I wonder whether he has anything to do with this whole Serpent of Slytherin stuff?" Martin mused. "Of course if we chucked all the Slytherins out of school we'd be right."  
  
I glanced over at the Slytherins who were in the class with us then. Alforth was happily making fun of some unlucky person and his crony Carlos was laughing meanly. For some reason I didn't tell Martin about the conversation I'd had with Alison. I was still thinking about it though as we made our way up to the castle for lunch. In fact I didn't even comment when Patty Parkinson, a mean faced Slytherin who Jenny had made enemies with last year, commented that it was nice to have a lesson without know- all Weasley there. Martin looked at me surprised to see I didn't comment, but I was busy thinking about Alison: there was something strange about her- she didn't seem like a Malfoy, and she didn't seem to realise what being a Malfoy meant. 


	12. A bad Christmas begins

CHAPTER TWELVE: A bad Christmas begins.  
  
I sighed and wished I could just go to sleep now. Martin and I had grabbed the table and chairs nearest to the warm fire, and I was nice and tired. Henry, carrying a stack of books that was nearly bigger than him, sat down at the table. "I can't believe Snape has given us so much homework. Doesn't he realise that its Christmas in two days?" He complained unhappily.  
  
"You think you've got homework." Greg muttered. "Look how much we've got to do to get ready for our OWLS."  
  
"Oh cheer up." Francine said, poking him in the arm. "It's Christmas gloomy guts."  
  
"Yeah and I'm going to be spending the holidays doing homework." Greg said with a dramatic sigh.  
  
"Well perhaps if you didn't leave everything to the last minute you wouldn't be in so much trouble." Francine suggested with a grin.  
  
"Hey you guys, do you know why Aunt Hermione and Uncle Fred are coming up to the school tomorrow? Mum sent me an owl this morning and said we could catch the train back with them." Georgia asked suddenly.  
  
I jumped, nearly upsetting my inkpot, which I hurriedly caught. I gave Martin a look which reminded him we weren't meant to tell anyone, and he wasn't even meant to know.  
  
"No, I didn't know they were. Did Dad say why?" Greg asked looking thoughtful.  
  
"It's probably because she's so sick. I wish they'd let us in to see her. If it's so contagious couldn't they give us masks or something to wear?" Francine complained.  
  
I quickly lowered my head to my books again, not wanting to have to lie again about Jenny's whereabouts.  
  
*****  
  
"Mr. Potter, a word please?" The headmistress asked after the last transfiguration class before the holidays.  
  
"We'll meet you at the feast." Martin called as he and the rest of my Gryffindor classmates went off. My stomach rumbled, and I hoped the feast wouldn't begin before I got there- especially if it was anything like last years!  
  
"I trust you haven't told anyone about Jenny in the last two weeks." The headmistress asked.  
  
"No." I lied, but I don't think she believed me because her lips narrowed slightly, but she didn't comment on it. "Do you have any clues?" I asked now.  
  
She sighed and sat back down in her chair. "I wish I could say we do."  
  
I felt like my legs couldn't support me anymore, and I held onto the edge of the desk tightly. "She can't be dead can she?" I asked, voicing the question which had been worrying me so much lately.  
  
"I don't know anymore." The headmistress admitted. "We've tried everything we could think of to do with the Serpent of Slytherin and we can't find her. And before you start-" She said as I opened my mouth. "-the Chamber can't be opened again."  
  
"I wasn't going to say that." I said. "I was going to ask you something. Professor McGonagall, can you tell me why Professor Mitchell is here under a false name?"  
  
The headmistress looked shocked, her jaw dropped open, and it was a moment before she could speak. "How do you know that?"  
  
"We looked him up in the past yearbooks. He might have been here when my Dad was here mightn't he?" I asked.  
  
The headmistress looked as though she were going to deny it, but then she nodded slowly. "I believe he was here in Harry's last year yes."  
  
"Professor, does he..do you know him very well?" I asked, wondering how I was going to get to my point.  
  
"I taught him Potter so I should think I know him." She said, and then she added "Spit it out Potter- I want to get to that feast."  
  
"Well." I said slowly. "The thing is, I heard a weird conversation between Professor Snape and Professor Mitchell."  
  
"Weird conversation?" The headmistress looked at me over her glasses.  
  
"Well it sounded like Professor Snape was trying to get Professor Mitchell to do something he didn't want to do." I explained in a rush. "Professor Snape sounded really mean, and Professor Mitchell sounded as though he was agreeing to do it only to keep Professor Snape off his back."  
  
The headmistress was silent for a moment. Then she spoke. "Sam, are you trying to suggest that one of them- or even both- is the serpent of Slytherin and might have taken Jenny?"  
  
I didn't answer.  
  
"Let's get to the feast Potter before you make any more terrible allegations against my staff. Next thing you know you'll be telling me Professor Sprout is growing illegal herbs in the greenhouse." She said standing up.  
  
"But Professor-" I began, however she interrupted me, her voice sharper than before.  
  
"Potter rest assured that neither of them have anything to do with your friend's disappearance." The headmistress said, as she began to walk towards the door, with me following her.  
  
"Then why are Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron coming up to the school? What are you going to tell them?" I demanded.  
  
She stopped. "We're going to have to tell them the truth Potter. That Jenny has disappeared and we don't know where she is." Her voice broke on the last note, and I felt sick. The girl I'd grown up with, the girl I thought of as my cousin was gone!  
  
"Come on Potter. Keep your chin up. Maybe we'll work something out." The headmistress said, but I could tell by the tone of her voice that she didn't sound as though she believed it much. I followed her to the feast, and forced a smile onto my face. But what was going to happen tomorrow when Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron arrived at the school? My cousins were going to find out what had happened, and everyone was going to be as miserable as I was feeling inside. The headmistress went in first, but I muttered something about having to do my shoelace up so I had a moment to compose myself. It wasn't shaping up to be a very good Christmas, I thought with a sigh as I walked into the hall.  
  
"Excuse me Potter." Alforth said knocking into me as he went towards his table. "What's with the crybaby look? Upset about your friend Jenny are you?" And he walked over to his table, Carlos at his heels.  
  
I ignored him and went and sat down with my house.  
  
"What did McGonagall want?" Martin asked.  
  
"Oh nothing much, she just wanted to tell me that I did very well on the last test." I said with a shrug. "No big deal."  
  
The headmistress stood up and started to give us a small speech about how glad she was with our behavior and marks thus far, and that she hoped we all had a great Christmas, when a thought occurred to me. Alforth had been pretty quiet all year, he hadn't even bothered to tease me as much as normal, and then, on the way in, he'd asked whether I was upset about my friend Jenny? I looked over at the Slytherin table. Alforth was sitting with his friends, and his sister Alison was sitting there looking miserable. I couldn't help but wonder: did the Malfoy's have something to do with Jenny's disappearance? They did hate the Weasleys! I decided that after the holidays I was going to have to keep a close eye on the Malfoys. 


	13. The Weasley's pain

[A/N. There are two things I just want to quickly mention: firstly that there are not really many classes in here like there were in the first story, but my excuse for this is that Sam is pretty much preoccupied at the moment, so classes are not really relevant. The second thing is, unlike the first story Snape has not really been as mean to Sam. And you're going to find out the reason for that soon, but I can't give it away at the moment without giving away something of the story. Cheers.]  
  
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: The Weasley's Pain.  
  
"Listen," I hissed to Martin. "Come over here, I've got something I want to tell you." I didn't get the chance to speak to him after the feast the night before since the party continued once we were back in the common room, and then going down to breakfast I'd had Greg glued to my side complaining about his homework. But now some people were in the common room, whilst others were packing ready for the train in a few hours. Since I had packed yesterday I didn't need to worry about it.  
  
Martin and I got a table in the corner of the room nearest the boy's dormitory. Hurriedly I told him about my conversation with the headmistress and then my suspicions about Alforth.  
  
Martin made a face. "I wouldn't put anything past a Malfoy. Everyone knows they're rotten to the core. Maybe we should ask him what the hell he meant by that remark?"  
  
I sighed. "Yeah, and he'll say well don't tell anyone but I'm the one who took Jenny. I've hidden her in my lair and you're not going to get her back." I said sarcastically.  
  
Martin couldn't help but laugh. "Well all right, I admit that's not much of a plan. But I think when we get back here after the holidays we should keep a really close eye on Alforth and his sister, and Michael, even if the headmistress is convinced he's innocent."  
  
I hesitated. "Well I don't know that Alison would have anything to do with it." I said slowly.  
  
Martin raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Well I met her one morning when she was running late for class because she was lost, so I helped her get to class and she seemed really nice- nothing like Alforth. And I get the impression Alforth doesn't really like her either." I said, feeling a slight blush creep up into my cheeks.  
  
"Sam, please, please, tell me you don't have a crush on a Malfoy?" Martin said, with a grin.  
  
"I don't have a crush on anybody." I protested. "All I'm saying is-"  
  
But I never got the chance to tell him what I was saying because at that moment the common room door opened and in walked the headmistress with Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron. My heart sunk as I saw the looks on their faces. Aunt Hermione had been crying and she looked devastated. Uncle Ron looked lost, as though he couldn't believe this was happening.  
  
"Aunt Hermione! Uncle Ron!" Francine, who was the only one of the Weasley's in the common room at that time, called. "Are you okay?"  
  
Aunt Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but found she couldn't, and she looked at Uncle Ron helplessly. "Can you get your cousins?" He asked, and then he spotted me. "Sam, you better come and hear this too. You're practically part of the family."  
  
Knowing only too well what I was going to hear I didn't want to go with them, but giving Martin a quick look I got up and walked over there. Francine had hurried to find Greg and Georgia, and I muttered a hello to them.  
  
"Sam, good job on making the Quidditch team. Harry was telling us how well you played the other day.." Uncle Ron said, but I could tell his heart wasn't in it.  
  
I mumbled a thank you, and then the other Weasley's were back in the room.  
  
"What's going on?" Georgia asked, glancing around. I forced myself to put on a confused face too- it wouldn't do for them to know that I'd known all along, and we went along to an empty classroom, where the headmistress left us alone.  
  
"I'll organise for your things to be sent to the train kids, so then you can just go straight there." She said, and she gave me a brief warning look as she left, but she needn't have bothered- there was no way I was going to say anything.  
  
"Aunt Hermione!" Georgia demanded. "What's happened? Why do you look so sad?"  
  
Aunt Hermione opened her mouth to speak, and instead she burst into tears. Uncle Ron put an arm around her and whispered something to her, and she nodded slightly. It was such a different picture to the parents seeing their child off on the Hogwarts train a few months back, I thought unhappily.  
  
"Kids, this isn't easy for us to say, but you've got to know. Professor McGonagall called us up here to tell us something about Jenny-"  
  
"Oh god," Georgia cried. "She's really sick isn't she? She's not going to die is she?"  
  
Aunt Hermione cried harder and Uncle Ron swallowed what looked like a huge lump in his throat. "No, she's not sick at all. She hasn't been in the hospital wing the past few weeks like we all thought." He explained, and I had a brief pang of relied that he seemed to believe that I thought that as well, but this passed quickly as he continued to speak. "Jenny's missing."  
  
"Missing?" Francine asked. "What do you mean missing?"  
  
"We don't know where she is, and nor do the teachers. She's been missing the last few weeks and nobody knows where she is, or if she's even..if she's even alive." Uncle Ron choked on the last words.  
  
Greg swore, but for once he wasn't reprimanded. "A few weeks? A few weeks and they haven't found her?" He managed to ask.  
  
Uncle Ron nodded, it seemed as though he wasn't capable of speech anymore either. Francine hurried to hug Aunt Hermione, who clutched her to her as though she were her lifeline. Paul touched his head boy badge softly and muttered something which sounded like "Why didn't they tell me?" Beside me Georgia pressed her body closer to mine, and I automatically put my arm around her shoulders. Strangely enough Greg seemed to be the one taking the news the worst. His face was incredibly pale, and he turned and hurried from the room. He didn't reappear until we were all seated in our carriage on the Hogwart's Express. Martin had seen me at the station, and noticing the state of the Weasley's he'd told me he would go and share a carriage with the other Gryffindor second years, and he'd see me after Christmas. I nodded. Even though I'd known Jenny was missing this seemed to make it all worse, real somehow.  
  
"Sam." Georgia said to me, about an hour into the journey. "Come and get something to eat with me. It'll make us feel a bit better if we've got something to eat."  
  
Greg snorted, and I hesitated until I saw the look on her face and realised she wanted to speak to me about something. So I went out of the carriage with her.  
  
"It was the Serpent of Slytherin." She told me firmly. "Remember my parchment, and then there was the writing on the wall and then Jenny-"  
  
"Georgia!" I interrupted her before she could get started. "The headmistress assures me that there is no way that the chamber could be opened again as it's been destroyed along with the creature in it. Jenny has not been taken into the chamber."  
  
"Well she's been taken by the Serpent of Slytherin then." Georgia insisted.  
  
I shook my head. "The staff seem to think that was just someone being silly. I know I may have thought otherwise at first because of how the headmistress reacted to it, but I think her reaction was due to shock more than anything. Wherever Jenny is, she's not with the Serpent of Slytherin. If the Serpent of Slytherin even exists." I added scornfully.  
  
Georgia hesitated, and then she nodded. "Okay." She said, seeming to believe me. "But Sam- do you think they'll find her?"  
  
"I don't know." I admitted honestly. "I don't know."  
  
We went and got some chocolate frogs and a few other goodies before going back into the carriage. I only wished that I could have been completely confident that there was no such thing as the Serpent of Slytherin, and that whoever, whatever, it was, hadn't taken Jenny as I had sounded. I decided then and there that once I got back to Hogwarts I was going to do the very thing I had been forbidden to do- I was going to search for Jenny!  
  
*****  
  
My parents met us on Platform nine and three quarters with big, happy smiles, but as we trooped off the train they must have realised something was wrong and their smiles faded. Uncle Ron told them what had happened and Dad looked shocked. Mum went straight to hug Aunt Hermione. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Alforth and his parents staring at us, and I turned to face them. His Dad has a slight smile on his face, and Alforth wore a satisfied smirk. Alison, however, was standing apart from them, looking anything but happy. She caught my eye and gave me a slight smile, but I didn't return it- after all, as Martin had said, the Malfoy's were all rotten to the core. A bad lot, all of them. My parents and I left the station, a very somber group.  
  
In the car we attempted to act normal, but it wasn't a very successful attempt. Dad told about the latest letter from his godfather Sirius who lived in Ireland. I'd only met him on a few occasions, and although Dad had cleared his name of murder when he was at school there were still people around who Sirius wished to avoid (namely those who were death eaters, or didn't believe that he had ever really been cleared) and so he stayed out of the country for the most part. Mum told me about the latest book she'd read. After that the conversation petered out and we sat in silence as we drove through London to our house. I wondered what it was like at the Weasley house now, and decided I was glad I wasn't there. Normally we spent every second Christmas Day with them, and the other one with Mum's parents, but Dad had changed his mind after hearing about Jenny. I heard him telling Uncle Ron that it would be better off for them being alone. Uncle Ron had argued that Dad was part of the family, but his heart wasn't in the argument. He didn't seem to care where he was, or who he was with for Christmas. I sighed as we got home, even seeing my house didn't evoke the same excitement as it usually did after time away at school. In fact, I was pretty sure this was going to be one of the worst holidays ever. 


	14. My promise

[A/N. I know it's been a very long time between chapters but I've been in hospital and then there was the whole psyio/rehab thing (which I am still doing, but not as much) and now I've actually got a week and a half or so to write two take home exams. I want to get an average of over 70 for everything so I'm planning on putting in some major work on them. Therefore this chapter isn't going to be the longest, but I don't think that matters too much.]  
  
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: My promise.  
  
My Christmas holidays were quiet to say the least. When we were out and trying to have fun I felt guilty about being happy when the Weasley's were in such pain. I mentioned that to Mum and she hugged me. "I know how terrible this feels Sam, and the not knowing is the worst thing. But at least try to have some fun. When you get back to school after Christmas it's probably going to be very hard for you to have any."  
  
"I just wish they'd find her." I said. "And you know what makes it worse?"  
  
Mum raised an eyebrow in question.  
  
"The last time I saw her we were arguing." I said slowly. Mum's arms were still around me, and for once I didn't care that I was twelve and being hugged by my mother. "I mean it wasn't a bad argument or anything, really quite stupid, but it was an argument none the less." I didn't want to tell Mum what the argument was about of course.  
  
"Sweetie, I know that makes it feel worse, but you can't go round feeling guilty about that. After all kids will be kids, and kids will have arguments. It's a shame of course, but feeling guilty about it is wrong."  
  
Of course Dad was in constant contact with Uncle Ron and I heard him talking to mum about it a day or so after she and I had spoken about it. "It's like he's given up hope." Dad said unhappily. "I don't know why, the teachers at Hogwarts are sure she's still alive, but how they can say that when she's been missing so long gets him."  
  
"What about Hermione?" Mum asked. "Wouldn't she have a feeling if Jenny was dead? I'm sure if Sam was hurt, or dead I'd have a feeling. Mother's instinct?"  
  
"She doesn't really speak about it. It's like they think that by speaking about it with each other makes it real. If they could share each other's pain they'd be feeling a lot better." Dad said.  
  
"As better as you could feel considering the circumstances." Mum corrected. "It's just so terrible."  
  
I sighed and backed away from the room. I didn't want to go in there and talk about how I felt because I didn't really know how I felt. I know I missed Jenny, which was something I'd never have expected to happen even a year back, and somehow I knew she wasn't dead. I don't know how I knew that, but I knew it in my bones. Sitting back in my room trying to do my history of magic homework I made myself a promise- regardless of what I'd promised the headmistress when I got back to school I was going to find Jenny. Not only was she like my cousin, she was also my friend.  
  
*****  
  
Our carriage going back to school was quiet to say the least. Greg wasn't even teasing Paul, and even Paul still looked devastated by the entire thing. The only time there was a glimmer of a smile on our faces was when Alforth stuck his head into our carriage.  
  
"It looks like a funeral in here. Cheer up people, nobodies died." And then he laughed. "Oh wait, they might have. Dad told me all about little Jenny Weasley's disappearance, but it's not as if it's any great loss is it?"  
  
Three curses hit him at once- mine, Greg's and Georgia's and he staggered back from the doorway covered in fur, warts and turning pink. We exchanged weak smiles at the spectacle, but they didn't last long.  
  
"You're going to get into trouble for that." Francine commented, and she glanced at Paul waiting for him to kick into head boy mode.  
  
Instead he sighed. "I didn't see anything." He said. "And besides he deserved it the slimy little git."  
  
That was the first time I'd ever heard Paul speak like that, and I was impressed.  
  
"The headmistress owled us over the holidays," Greg told me. "To let us know that if we didn't finish our homework she wouldn't be too concerned. She said to say you're included in that since you're practically part of the family, and being in the same year as Jenny and all.." He trailed off and I nodded. Usually an announcement like that would have sent me into fits of glee, but even that couldn't penetrate my somber mood.  
  
*****  
  
"How was your holidays?" Martin asked me later that day as we piled out of the train in Hogsmeade. He glanced over at the Weasley's. "They still don't know?"  
  
"Nope," I said as we began to walk. "They don't, but I've decided that I can't just sit around and do nothing. I haven't really thought about it yet, but I'm going to find Jenny!"  
  
Martin looked at me thoughtfully. "You sounded really sure then."  
  
"I've got to be." I said with a sigh. "I don't think I can take any more of the Weasley's pain, and I'm sure Jenny's still alive, I've got this feeling I can't explain."  
  
"You know I always thought Jenny was a bit of a pest, but I've grown pretty used to her. And if it weren't for her we could very well have died last year." Martin mused. "Whatever you're planning I'll help."  
  
"Thanks." I said, extremely grateful. "But where to start?"  
  
"How about with them?" Martin asked, nodding his head in the direction of the two Malfoy's. Alforth was showing off his latest broom, a Christmas present from his Dad, and Alison was standing quietly beside him. If anything she looked even paler than usual.  
  
"Definitely a start." I agreed. "And of course there's Michael- there's something fishy going on between him and Snape. And then there's Georgia's note. And then-"  
  
"Hold up." Martin said. "It looks like we've got a lot of work to do."  
  
"If you don't want to help me that's fine." I assured him. "I'll do this no matter what."  
  
"I didn't say I wasn't going to help you." Martin said. "I told you I was in, and I'm in. I was just wondering why you haven't asked the Weasley's to help?"  
  
"Because they might get the feeling I'd been hiding things from them, and I don't want them to know how long I've known about Jenny being missing." I explained.  
  
"Fair enough..so how do we go about this?" Martin asked.  
  
"We'll go to the library tonight after the welcome back feast and work on details." I said. "And then, we find Jenny!" It was though, easier said than done. 


	15. The library

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: The library.  
  
"Where are you two going? Aren't you coming up to the common room?" Henry asked Martin and I later that evening.  
  
Everyone else was going to celebrate a "welcome back to the welcome back feast" party in the Gryffindor common room organised by one of the fourth years who was friends with Greg and was worried about his dismal attitude. Everyone had found out about Jenny before the welcome back feast when the house was asked to stay where they were in the common room so the headmistress could speak to us. The Weasley, Martin and I knew what it was all about and we stood well back knowing we were now going to be receiving sympathy from everyone. And then down at the feast it had been subdued to say the least.  
  
"We're going to the library to get a head start on some homework." I lied.  
  
"That sounds like a good idea. My parents weren't exactly impressed with my marks.." Henry sighed. "But then Dad was only really good in one subject and that was Herbology."  
  
"So, we better get going. We'll see you later Henry." Martin said.  
  
"Can't you wait for me to get my books so I can come and study too? I'll be a minute." And he rushed off without waiting for an answer.  
  
"Let's go before he gets back." Martin said.  
  
I hesitated. "We can't just go and leave him when he thinks we're waiting for him. That wouldn't be right." I said, with a sigh. Everyone in our year felt sorry for Henry because he wasn't very smart, and he wasn't very good at magic either, but he kept cheerfully telling us about how his Dad was born practically a squib, but eventually got the hang of it.  
  
"Damn him." Martin muttered and I shot him a surprised look. Earlier that day when we'd been talking about working out how to find Jenny he hadn't been exactly enthusiastic, and now he was acting like Henry's coming with us was the end of the world.  
  
"We can still do some detective work." I said. "For example I want to know more about this Basilisk and the chamber of secrets."  
  
I shivered in the cold hallway of the castle and put my hands inside my robes pockets to keep warm and then realised there was a bit of paper in there. I drew it out and read it- it was the note the headmistress had given me to get out a book called "ADADA Beasts." I frowned at it wondering again why she'd given me the book.  
  
There was the sound of running feet and Henry was on his way back with his books. We all trooped into the library and Henry and Martin went and sat down whilst I went over to the librarian and asked her to get me the book from the headmistress. She frowned at me over her glasses. "Why do you want this?" She demanded.  
  
"Because I need it." I said.  
  
She stared at me a moment longer before going and getting the book. "Be careful with it, it's very expensive and very important." She warned me.  
  
I took it back to the table where Martin and Henry were pouring over books. Henry was muttering the names of various ingredients so clearly he hadn't done his potions work yet. Martin had a stack of books on Hogwarts, and creatures of the wizarding world.  
  
I sat down with the book and Martin glanced at it. "ADADA Beasts?" He read off the cover. "What is that?"  
  
"I don't know." I admitted. "The headmistress told me I should check it out just after I told her about..um stuff." I glanced at Henry who was absorbed in his book and Martin got the gist nodding.  
  
I opened it up to the first page to discover that the ADADA stood for "Advanced defence against the dark arts." I flipped through to the "B" section and skimmed it for information on the Basilisk. To my surprise there was only a small amount of information on it: 'The basilisk is one of the most deadly creatures in our world. It is a giant snake and kills people with its look, so those dealing with it should avoid looking it directly in the eye. To kill it there is nothing better than a killing spell, but as you should know by now these spells are not to be taken lightly. Another way of killing it is to stab it.'  
  
"There's nothing new in here." I said frowning.  
  
"Nor in here." Martin said, shutting the book he was reading and opening the next one.  
  
"Henry can I please borrow a piece of parchment and a quill?" I asked.  
  
Henry lent me the items and went back to his study and I sighed and wrote down the heading "What we know for sure." Underneath it I wrote "The headmistress claims the basilisk died and that it didn't take Jenny, but she was concerned when the writing about the serpent of Slytherin and the Chamber of Secrets being open was written on the wall. Georgia heard someone speaking a strange language in the girl's bathroom, and had something left on her bed which said, "The Serpent of Slytherin is back. Enemies of the Heir beware." Michael is here under a false name and there is something going on between him and Snape. Alforth seemed to know about Jenny being missing before he should have known."  
  
Martin lent over to look at what I had written. "So where to from here?" He asked me.  
  
"I don't know." I admitted and I began to flip through the big book again wondering why the headmistress had given it to me. And then something in the "S" section caught my eye and with my heart pounding I flicked backwards to "Slytherin, Serpent of."  
  
"Martin." I hissed, trying not to get Henry's attention. "Listen to this. The Serpent of Slytherin is usually assumed to be a myth, but in case it is true you should know something about it. It is said to be similar to the basilisk and is named after Salazar Slytherin because it is evil. The Serpent is said to reside somewhere on the grounds of Hogwarts but because nobody has yet seen it, there is no ideas on where. To kill the Serpent you have to throw a "Serpenthithias" potion on it."  
  
Martin looked shocked. "Do you think that's what's got Jenny?" He asked.  
  
"I'm sure of it. And for some reason the headmistress wanted me to know about it." I said trailing off.  
  
"So what do we do now?" Martin asked again, only this time I had an answer.  
  
"We have to find out whether Alforth, Michael or Snape has something to do with it. And we should probably talk to Georgia again since she was the one who heard the voice and got the note, but we'll have to make her promise not to tell any of the Weasley's since they'd be sure to stop us." I replied.  
  
"That could be easier said than done." Martin said with a sigh.  
  
"I know." I admitted. "But I promised, and I am not going to break my promise!" 


	16. Authors note

Authors Note:  
  
Don't think I've abandoned this story, but I've just had my last exam for the semester, but for the next week or so I'm doing a winter intensive course, which is 9-5 of classes. It's pretty full on and I've got to do all my readings for it as well as getting up at sixish to get there in time. After that I've got a few weeks of Uni holidays, so things should be less hectic then.  
  
I'm still going to be working on this story, I couldn't leave poor Jenny abandoned forever could I? Sam is going to become something of a detective in a race against time involving a member of staff and somewhere he's not meant to go... 


	17. Playing detective

[A/N. I still sometimes don't particularly like this story, but it's mostly because of something I wrote in it earlier. I might change it if I get the chance, but it would be a lot of work, so it's more likely I'll keep writing it and finish it. There will be about 21 chapters in this, the same as in the other ones. And then I'll write the fourth Samuel Potter book.]  
  
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Playing detective.  
  
"Mr. Potter that doesn't look like your Defence Against the Dark Arts book to me." Snape said as he came to my desk.  
  
I quickly closed the book I'd been reading and went to open my textbook, but Snape had grabbed the other book and was reading the title out loud to the class. "Secrets of the seeker: a step to step guide for beginners."  
  
I felt the eyes of the class on me as Snape looked at the book with a smile on his face. "Let me guess Potter, you think now Jenny's missing you can be seeker instead of keeper. It's a bit of a coincidence isn't it?"  
  
"Sorry sir?" I asked confused. "What is?"  
  
"That your Dad was a seeker and you wanted to be a seeker too, but instead you got put as keeper and Jenny as seeker. And then Jenny just happens to disappear." Snape replied coldly.  
  
I gaped at him in shock. Was he suggesting I had something to do with Jenny's disappearance?  
  
"Just a coincidence..that's all." Snape said smoothly and he handed me back my book. I snatched it off him and put it under my other books.  
  
"It is not a coincidence." I snapped angrily. "I don't know where Jenny is, or who took her, but if there's anyone in this room who might know..well it's not me."  
  
Snape's eyes widened, and I felt Martin hit me under the table. But I was too angry to care. "What exactly do you mean by that Potter?" Snape spat out, leaning over my table. The entire class had stopped doing their work and were looking at us curiously.  
  
"Nothing." I said sullenly, aware of the look of horror on Martin's face, but it was too late- the damage was done.  
  
"Detention tomorrow, and no playing Quidditch this weekend." Snape snapped angrily.  
  
I was shocked. "But sir-"  
  
"No buts Potter. You should think about what you say before you say it." Snape replied coldly.  
  
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Alforth smirking. I glared at him wondering why he was so happy- he was on detention already.  
  
"SIR!" Alex Thomas was yelling. "That's not fair. We've already got Jenny missing, and we can't play without a seeker and a keeper."  
  
"Well that's not my fault is it?" Snape asked, his lips curved in a cruel smile. "I'd be looking at someone else if I were you. Gryffindor's can thank Potter here for making them forfeit the game."  
  
"But Sir-" Henry began nervously.  
  
"ENOUGH!" Snape roared. "I've had enough. Everyone get on with their work. Potter come here, I'm sending you to see the headmistress with a note about your misbehavior."  
  
I gathered my things up not trusting myself to speak. I was furious with Snape, and I knew that Johnson was going to be equally furious, but more likely with me than Snape. Snape finished writing the note and he handed it to me. Without a word I took it and stormed out of the classroom.  
  
Outside in the corridor I paused to take a deep breath. Before I could start towards the headmistress' office I saw Francine on her way down the corridor. She looked as though she were in a world of her own, and it took her a moment to realise I was standing there. Her hazy eyes cleared. "Sam, why aren't you in class?"  
  
I sighed, and with extreme trepidation I told her about what had just happened in Snape's class, leaving out the fact that I had virtually accused him of being the one responsible for Jenny's disappearance. Francine's eyes narrowed. "He can't do that." She declared.  
  
"He has." I said numbly. What if my father came up to watch the match like he had the last one and I had to explain to him why I was sitting in the stands with the others watching whoever they'd gotten to take my place make a mess of things?  
  
"I'm sure the headmistress will reverse the decision- she won't let you miss the game. Snape's just doing that so that Gryffindor won't finish on top. The slimy git." Francine assured me.  
  
*****  
  
Unfortunately the headmistress wasn't as annoyed at Snape as Francine had been, and she chose not to reverse the decision, despite my pleas. "Listen Sam," She said putting the note aside on her desk. "I understand what you and the Weasley's are going through, but it doesn't give you the right to speak to teachers like that."  
  
"But Professor McGonagall, he was insinuating I was responsible for Jenny's disappearance." I argued.  
  
The headmistress raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that a teacher would do that Sam. Perhaps you just misunderstood him?" She suggested.  
  
I took a deep breath. "Professor, how come Michael is here under a false name?" I asked.  
  
The headmistress sighed. "Are you still on about this Sam?" She asked, not unkindly.  
  
"Professor, someone is responsible for my cousin- well we think of each other as cousins- someone is responsible for her disappearance and I'd like to find out who it is." I explained.  
  
The headmistress made a temple out of her hands and rested her chin on them surveying me thoughtfully. "Okay Sam, but this is between you and me- and I'm assuming Martin." She said, a slight smile on her face. "Michael is here under a false name as you and your friends already discovered, and yes Professor Snape does know him. In fact Professor Snape taught him when he was a student here. But the promise they were referring to was nothing sinister at all."  
  
"What was it?" I asked.  
  
The headmistress looked annoyed. "I don't like to talk about people's private business, but in this case I'm going to make an exception. The last thing Michael needs is you suspecting him of plotting or something. Michael is an alcoholic, a muggle affliction but he is part muggle. What it means is he is a bit too fond of say mulled mead. Professor Snape is developing a potion which would cure this, and he is testing it on Michael, who understandably, is somewhat nervous about the whole thing." She sighed and pushed her glasses up on her nose. "I'd appreciate you not going around talking about this Sam."  
  
"Of course not." I assured her. My mind was in turmoil- did this mean neither Snape nor Michael were the ones to take Jenny? If that was the case it only left me with one suspect- Alforth. It was going to be interesting in detention tomorrow night with him.  
  
"Sam, and this is also under the strictest confidence, we're making some headway with finding Jenny, but that's all I can tell you at the moment." The headmistress said.  
  
I looked at her in shock. "Really?" I asked.  
  
"Really." She confirmed.  
  
"What..who-" I began but she interrupted me.  
  
"I can't tell you anymore than that Sam, it could be dangerous. But do me a favor- please don't even think about going searching for the Serpent of Slytherin." The headmistress asked me anxiously.  
  
"So the Serpent exists?" I asked. "Is this like the chamber and the basilisk?"  
  
"It's got nothing to do with either." The headmistress said curtly. "You don't miss a trick do you Sam. But trust me on this one- leave this up to the experts."  
  
*****  
  
"Sam." Georgia hissed and she grabbed at my arm. "Come here a moment."  
  
I allowed her to pull me into an empty classroom instead of going down to tea. "What?" I asked.  
  
"I've been thinking about Jenny's disappearance, and I think I've worked something out." Georgia said.  
  
"Do you remember me telling you I didn't know whose voice I heard in the girls' bathroom?" Georgia asked.  
  
"Yes." I said, my heart skipping a beat.  
  
"I've worked out who it was." Georgia said. "It was Alforth Malfoy. I'm sure of it." 


End file.
